To the Political Parties
Present in the electoral competition March 4, 2018
Their locations
2018 general elections
On the occasion of the March 4, 2018, general election, the FNP-CISL Emilia Romagna Secretariat is sending this document, which summarizes the organization's objectives for political debate and requests a response, in order to guide the electorate ahead of this important election. The FNP-CISL Secretariat is available, upon request and agreement, for discussions with political parties and candidates.
Right and duty to participate in the vote.
To win the right to vote, our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters fought at the cost of great sacrifices, sometimes even their lives. Therefore, not voting is a defeat for everyone. The limitations and contradictions present in political life are no reason to abstain from this civic right and duty. Citizens, retired and otherwise, need politics, good politics, at the service of the common good. They need to defeat today's greatest evil: "indifference," as Don Milani's motto, "I~Care," suggests.
Defense of the Constitution: rejection of fascism and racism
Italian pensioners contributed to the creation of the Constitution and, over the years, have fought to build a democratic country, founded on the values of the Constitutional Charter. It clearly enshrines: the values of anti-fascism and the prohibition on the reconstitution of the fascist party; the condemnation of any form of civil, social, and political discrimination based on race; the value of peace, with the rejection of the use of weapons as a solution to conflicts; the acceptance of people fleeing war (see Article 11 of the Constitution); work for all as a means of support for oneself and one's family; and gender equality.
This premise is to recall some of these values.
Europe
Since its inception, the CISL has embraced the enormous value of the choice made by the entire post-war democratic movement: to place Europe at the center of its action! This choice has guaranteed the member countries over 70 years of peace, a privilege never before granted to European countries. For many, the older ones who lived through the war, as well as for all those who have known the spirit, freedom, and benefits of community life, this value cannot be negated by the current limitations of the European construction. Contradictions, such as having a single currency without a common monetary and fiscal authority, or differing views on immigration, must not lead to a rethinking of the European choice, but rather urge the political forces present in the European Parliament to take the necessary steps to build a United States of Europe. The tragic experiences of the first half of the 1990s with the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia demonstrate that the prevalence of nationalism and ethnic-religious preponderance can always bring back the horrors that divided Europe has already known.
What the Fnp Cisl ER asks of the political forces
First, confirm the recognition of the social role of trade unions and the recognition of intermediate bodies. The complexity of the country's situation requires the involvement of all the country's vital and healthy forces. The experience of the pension reform negotiations is an important example of what has just been stated. The Fornero law (which everyone is talking about today) was amended without disrupting the budget, thus beginning to provide concrete solutions to those experiencing serious hardship, starting with those most in need. In the next legislature, discussions must continue to define further amendments to the Fornero law, prioritizing the definition of a guaranteed pension for young people, which is necessary for the development of the so-called "three legs" envisaged by the Dini reform, particularly the supplementary pension defined in the contractual agreements, now also for the public sector. With the aforementioned two agreements with the government, the conditions have been set, through the two commissions established by law, to address two important issues: a) separation of social security and welfare; and b) revaluation of pensions, including the reform of the ISTAT pension basket. The added value of the negotiations was finding a balance in pension reform with a view to safeguarding the public pension system, which would unite generations, thus avoiding the generational conflict that many were trying to foment.
The FNP-CISL ER asks the next Parliament and Government to broaden the discussion on two other fundamental issues to be addressed in 2018:
- Tax reform; B) Law on non-self-sufficiency.
- Tax
The tax issue, central to all programs, must be discussed with the unions, as was the case with pensions, to achieve a genuine reform based on fairness, proportionality, and economic sustainability. The CISL (Italian Workers' Confederation of Labour) has submitted a bill, which has garnered over 500,000 signatures and represents the starting point for the discussion. Making those who already pay a lot and everything pay less (workers and pensioners contribute approximately 851 TP3T of total personal income tax revenue to the Treasury) is not the same as making the wealthy pay less. Making everyone pay cannot be simply the result of lowering the tax burden (it is difficult to make tax evaders pay less). The FNP-CISL proposes expanding the tools for competing interests among different taxpayer categories, as was done for building renovations, which have proven to work. Alongside a dutiful reminder of the Constitutional requirement to contribute according to one's ability, it is also necessary to strengthen control tools and increase penalties for tax evaders. In this case, the American system could be adopted. In this discussion, the FNP-CISL would also like to overcome the existing differences in taxation between workers and pensioners, as recently occurred with the unification of the non-tax area, by increasing them.
Retirees agree to support families and the birth rate. This assistance is for their children and grandchildren.
b) Healthcare and non-self-sufficiency fund.
The necessary resources must be made available to the health fund to ensure adequate levels of care for all, overcoming the current limitations that lead many people to forgo treatment and be unable to afford regular checkups and visits. In particular, waiting times must be reduced, which force people to resort to paid services provided by both the public and private sectors. Household spending (estimated at €34 billion for healthcare and pharmaceuticals) is increasing. Furthermore, a review of spending and procurement (not always a source of savings) is needed, and corruption, the scandalous malpractice in healthcare, must be fought.
The next legislature must approve the "Framework Law" on long-term care. The issue has been postponed for too long. Important steps have been taken in this legislature, such as structuralizing the national fund for long-term care. Social funds have been refinanced. Discussions on the law on long-term care have begun. care givers, another key point in addressing the needs of seniors who choose home care over residential care. This national law is also important for the Regional Fund for Non-Self-Sufficiency: a crucial tool, but one that requires a stronger and more structured framework at the national level. The FNP believes social and healthcare integration is essential, as agreed with the Emilia-Romagna Region in the Social-Health Plan.
We need a policy that renews the welfare system, one that places the elderly at the center, not only as beneficiaries of assistance, but also as an added value for the community and the country. The increase in age, thanks to improved living conditions, should not be seen as an increase in healthcare and social costs, but as an opportunity for growth in employment, solidarity, and social interaction. Old age should not be scrapped. Pensioners are still an important resource for the country. They want to make their contribution. Keynes, to get out of his corner, said that "the medium and long term do not matter; we will all be dead." Their children and grandchildren will be alive in any case, and for this reason, the CISL Pensioners' Union (CISL) demand that welfare policies urgently and effectively address the various vulnerabilities that young people face today.
Attached to this note, as an integral part, is the CISL national document: “ITALY 2018 the CISL for Europe, The Work, The tax, The welfare “.
Download:
“ITALY 2018 the CISL for Europe, The Work, The tax, The welfare “
Source:
https://www.pensionaticislemiliaromagna.it/articolo-267/lettera-fnp-cisl-er-ai-candidati-alle-elezioni-2018/
https://www.cisl.it/focus/8413-italia-2018-la-cisl-per-l-europa-il-lavoro-il-fisco-il-welfare.html
