Week from 7 June to 13 June

Ten million workers without social security
Having so many workers outside the law should make government think again.
by AMEDEO NIGRA

   In Italy there are 10 million workers without insurance & pensions cover. This situation emerged in a recently published study by CNEL, the Italian council for the economy and employment. Ten million uninsured persons is an entire nation, however. This means that those working outside the law - seen in their relationship with the authorities - are something like the early Christians at the time of the emperor Nero. They are living in the catacombs. In secret they follow a tax regime that is outside the law. Waiting for a new Constantine to free them from oppression.

   In the meantime those in power should reflect on two great phenomena of our time. The business corporation has transformed our century. It has won over the world simply because of having no intention to crush the consumer as if were an antagonist. On the contrary. The latters situation has improved. And is improving all the time. Also the standard of living of those working in business, workers and employees, has improved. In a word the corporation has won by working together with everybody. And in this American phenomenon (which is also known as marketing) is to be found the great lesson that the authorities should take to heart. Understanding and following others is always the right approach.

   Communism is the great defeated party at the end of our century. And this is so because of the decisive reason that it preferred to follow solutions so different from those of private business. It attempted to crush its adversaries, the upper class and captains of industry, the self-employed. Creating many thousands of adversaries. And above all by killing off all forms of cooperation. The social contract is bilateral by nature. Eliminating the counterpart (through the dictatorship of the proletariat) means failing from the outset. Because no agreement is any longer valid. And without agreement there is no longer any powerful thrust in cooperation.

   Europe is in deep trouble. And the reason for its failure is to be found in the seeds of communism remaining in Europes left wing parties. Of course the word communism is no longer used. But throughout Europe the forceful solution is preferred. As is the case with the bureaucracy, revenue offices and the excessive presence of trade unions. The result is having10.000.000 workers without social security. Almost half the working population.

   This is an alarming information. Because it means people are no longer following parliament. More precisely such data tells us that laws and regulations seem to be increasingly like white-washed cemeteries. They look fine from the outside. But everthing is different inside. Where exactly the opposite is the case.

   How much longer can this situation continue ? What will the year 2000 be like ? Are we going to have a Reformed communist party insisting on a 30 hour working week for pilots of space ships ? Will we even have the trade unions asking for pensions as from your 60th year, when the average life span could be 110 years ? Maybe so. Everything is possible. But with a minimum of imagination you can guess that by the year 2000 government is going increasingly to look like a big corporation. With tax officers and administration ready to do everything in their power to meet the needs of citizens. With a Minister for taxation ready to offer premiums, discounts and business facilities in proportion to tax receipts. And with people being happy to pay their taxes in order to receive premiums and even in gratitude towards the tax collecting offices.

   Is this an improbable dream ? Yes, maybe. Maybe it is, given our classical policies that are so far from the taxpayer. But we cannot forget the dream. Rather we should follow an approach like this. Or at least attempt to do so.