Someone, PLEASE tell me why:

Italian Labor Minister Roberto Maronion was forced to defend his view that businesses should employ jobless Italians rather than immigrants.

Of course the Employer Federation would complain, because they prefer a surplus
of labor to drive down wages, But Unions????

This all when joblessness and poverty is rising at an alarming pace!! :(

    ROME, Oct. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- An Italian charity organization Caritas on Friday sounded the alarm over the increasing number of Italy's young and old "new poor," warning that the phenomenon will have adverse effect on the social stability.

The charity said it was alarmed by the number of young jobless people, families unable to make ends meet, and separated couples that were now turning to it for help.

It said the number of people below the poverty line had grown to 7 million, or about
12 percent of Italy's population, over the last 10 years. Some 80 percent of these are between 20 and 60 years of age, it said.

Caritas claimed that social services for these people are withering away.

Caritas chief Msgr Vittorio Nozza told reporters that "young people are struggling to find work and others are getting fired at 45-50. They often have big families with only one wage coming in. Then there are separated people who are feeling the pinch because of the added expenditure they have."

The charity stressed that increased poverty had a knock-on effect in terms of disease and crime.

The Berlusconi government has pointed out that its last budget included a tax benefit for the least well-off.

The Italian government has promised that a coming round of tax cuts will be primarily aimed at middle class families that are finding it harder to make ends meet.

:: Xinhuanet - English ::
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/
2004-10/23/content_2128571.htm

    ROME, Oct. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Italian Labor Minister Roberto Maronion Saturday defended his view that businesses should employ jobless Italians rather than immigrants, adding that Italy has enough immigrant workers.

Maroni offended the powerful Italian industrial employers' federation on Friday by questioning Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu's call for more immigrant workers.

He said in an interview that the demand for more immigrant workers was "unfounded."

Pisanu said earlier this week that immigrant workers were essential for the Italian economy and called for an increase in the number of immigrants allowed into the country for work purposes.

"Italian citizens should take precedence (over immigrants)," said Maroni, a member of the populist Northern League which is frequently criticized as anti-immigrant.

"Italian firms have a moral duty to employ unemployed Italian workers before asking the government to increase the number of immigrant workers allowed into the country," he added.

He also denied that immigrant workers were prepared to do the jobs that Italians considered too menial or unattractive.

Employers and trade unions immediately protested Maroni's stance.

The employers' federation blasted Maroni's "irresponsible" stance as "politically cynical and aimed at dividing rather than uniting and winning easy consensus."

CGIL, Italy's largest union, said that "Maroni's comments encourage divisions and set people against each other."

"Immigrants do not take work away from Italians and often do jobs that Italians don't want to do," the union said.

:: Xinhuanet - English ::
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/
2004-10/24/content_2131523.htm