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10/03/2008
A wide-ranging survey of working conditions done by union reps for the Italian federation of metal industry workers, FIOM, in thousands of firms has revealed widespread dissatisfaction among employees. A complex list of 118 questions was put to a sample of 100 000 workers, including some 3 000 immigrant workers, 20 000 women and 15 000 office staff. It is the biggest working conditions survey ever done in an EU country.
The survey’s initial findings unveiled in Turin on 29 February 2008 reveal a work organization that violates its own edict: employers talk up responsibility and job discretion, but practice an authoritarianism and disciplinary control that some had thought long gone. And ill-health caused by hazardous physical conditions remains prevalent.
The survey also throws a spotlight on low pay. Average monthly take-home pay for male manual workers is €1 170, compared to an average € 1 370 for white collar males. Women earn significantly less than men, with 33% on less than € 1 000 a month, compared to 9% of men. Women are systematically underpaid for the same work, skill level or length of service. Contingent workers are always on the wrong side of a pay gap.
Half of workers (48 %) would like to work shorter hours, compared to fewer than 6% who would prefer to work more. Just over a quarter of workers (26.3%) work more than 40 hours a week, rising to 30% among immigrant workers. Household tasks are mainly done by women: 46% of female manual and 37% of non-manual workers spend at least 20 hours a week on domestic chores, compared to less than 20% of men. More than 16% of all workers work night shifts, rising to 23% of all male manual workers, and 30% of male immigrant manual workers.
Work is highly repetitive and fragmented. The amount of repetitive work decreases with skill level, but concerns women on a much larger scale than men in all skill groups: 76% of women compared to 61% of men are engaged on repetitive work. Contingent workers are also more affected (73% against 63% for permanent employees). Monotonous work remains very much a fact of life, affecting women (73%) more than men (59%). Job discretion levels are low, particularly for women.
Men hold most positions of authority: 12% of women but just 1.7% of male manual workers have a woman boss. Authoritarianism in workplace labour relations can result in discrimination and bullying. Although relatively small-scale, they mainly affect women, immigrants and young people. 12% of workers claim to have experienced bullying in the twelve months up to the survey, rising to 20% of immigrants. More than 11% of women complain of sex discrimination, while over 20% of immigrants report having suffered ethnic or racial discrimination. Disciplinary proceedings were brought against 6 % of workers in the last twelve months, but the percentage is doubled (11%) when it comes to immigrant workers. Repetitive upper limb work affects 68% of male manual workers, but more than 90% of the lowest-skilled women manual workers.
Some 20% of workers were not given appropriate health and safety information. Just under 14% said there was no workplace safety rep, or they did not know if there was one. That percentage rises to 36% in firms with under 15 workers, and 25% among contingent workers. 40% of male rising to 47% of female workers thought their work was bad for their health. The main health problems reported are back pain, shoulder- and neck-ache, and arm and hand muscle pains. Fatigue, irritability and insomnia also reflect the health damage done by time-pressured, inflexible work.
There are wide health gaps between manual and non-manual workers taken over the whole working lifespan. 60% of manual workers did not think they would be able to do the same job when they reach 60, 20% did not know, 20% thought they might last out, whereas a full 50% of non-manual workers thought they would still be able to do the same job at age 60.
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