President Meloni’s video message on INAIL annual report 2024

Good morning everyone, and thanks to INAIL President D’Ascenzo for the invitation.

I am very sorry not to have managed to attend the presentation of INAIL’s annual report in person, but I nevertheless wanted to send you my greetings and input.

I extend a special greeting to President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, whose attendance underlines the utmost importance the institutions attribute to workplace health and safety.

My greetings and thanks go to Minister [of Labour and Social Policies] Calderone, the other authorities present, the members of INAIL’s board of directors and steering and supervisory committee, and all attendees.

Guaranteeing workplace health and safety is a priority of this Government, as can be seen in the many measures we have adopted since entering office, covering the various areas that revolve around this issue.

We have introduced a so-called ‘credits-based licence’, which is compulsory for businesses and self-employed workers intending to operate in the construction sector. We have provided for the recruitment of new inspectors in order to significantly increase the number of inspections and checks carried out, and we have earmarked considerable resources to reward companies that invest in prevention. 

However, we have also taken action in terms of both administrative and criminal sanctions, for example by making the unlawful supply of labour an offence again. This offence had been decriminalised in the past but is the one that has grown the most over time, often hidden by fake contracting agreements and bogus secondments. We are also firmly combatting the ‘caporalato’ phenomenon [a form of illegal hiring and exploitation of workers] with determination, because labour exploitation is a heinous crime that can never be accepted by a civilised nation worthy of being called such.

We are, however, aware that we still have a long way to go, because every life lost and every accident in the workplace is a defeat for everyone. Pope Francis was right when he said that “safety at work is like the air we breathe: we realize its importance only when it is tragically lacking, and it is always too late”.

This is why the Government, together with INAIL, has decided to take another step forward along this path, allocating an additional EUR 650 million to be invested in concrete measures, with particular regard to spreading a culture of prevention. These resources are in addition to the EUR 600 million already available for the ‘ISI’ incentives, taking the overall total available for 2025 to more than EUR 1.2 billion.

Minister Calderone is coordinating discussions with social partners and, together with INAIL, is working to define the measures from a technical point of view and make the best use of the resources we have freed up. Some of these measures are already known, such as strengthening the bonus-malus system for upstanding companies and extending insurance cover in schools. Our goal, however, is to create a special workplace health and safety action plan – thanks also to our fruitful dialogue with trade union organisations and those who deal with these issues on a daily basis – able to strengthen our joint efforts and make them even more effective.

As part of this process, we can count on the crucial input provided by INAIL and its professionalism and expertise. This institute is one of the gems of our welfare system, and we are convinced that its contribution can be and is key to spreading a culture of prevention, innovating the regulatory framework and bringing it up to date with changes in the world of work, improving social and healthcare services, and enhancing research.

Workplace health and safety is never a cost, perhaps a superfluous one that can be cut. It is every worker’s right, a value and a duty that institutions must promote day after day. The Government will always do its part in this challenge, because it is precisely through issues and priorities like this that it is possible to see how civilised a nation is, and how much a population cares about its present and its future.

My sincere thanks to all of you, and I wish you all the best with your work.