ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

ECJ Italian reporter Anna Garbagna brings latest news from the cleaning sector, including elections in one of the most important trade associations.

In June Pietro Auletta, managing director of the company Dussmann Service, was unanimously elected by Assemblea UNIFerr to be president of the National Union of Railway Cleaning Companies and Integrated Services of FISE (Federation of Service Companies member of Confindustria). UNIFerr is the most representative association of industrial cleaning and integrated services companies which supply cleaning contracts for the railway system.

The vice-presidents  Gianfranco Azais (from Compass Group), Gianluigi Gado (from ISCOT Italia) and Angelo Volpe (from La Lucente) will support the new president. In the next two years Pietro Auletta will maintain a line of continuity with his predecessor Carlo Scarsciotti, aiming to reinforce the role of the association as the authoritative voice in relationships with the trades unions, ensuring the effectiveness of the railways and quality of services while at the same time guaranteeing adequate exposure and identity to a strategic sector for rail transportation.

Framework law

The news in August was that great interest and willingness were expressed by the minister of public administration and simplification, Gianpiero D’Alia, during the meeting with the Institutional Affaires Commission of ANIP (the association that within Confindustria represents the cleaning services and multiservice sector).

During the meeting the legal proposal ‘framework law on the integrated services/multiservice sector’ was presented. The minister, noting the great strategic value of the proposal to relaunch Italy’s economy, asked the association to give its own specific contribution to the bill before the senate, which contains measures for the simplification of fulfilment of obligations for companies and citizens.

The delegation of business representatives appreciated the attention and the willingness expressed by minister Gianpiero D’Alia in dealing with topics regarding the regulation of the contracts sector, with reduction of contracting companies and supporting regular companies, thus also creating conditions for significant increases in employment levels.

The minister also believed that the proposal will have to be adopted by the government with the involvement of the minister of infrastructure Maurizio Lupi (with whom ANIP has already had a meeting) and  the minister for economic development  Flavio Zanonato.

“In this delicate moment for the country”, declared Lorenzo Mattioli, president of the institutional affairs commission of ANIP, “our new proposal of framework law gives identity and dignity to the services world, filling a legislative void and promoting the development of a growing sector. By contrasting the underground economy ‘of survival’ we will develop stable and qualified employment in a system of efficient and responsible companies”.

The integrated services and facility management sector continues to experience a phase of economic development with about 2,600,000 employees and a total estimated turnover of 150 billion euros. They are management activities which are more and more critical for the maintenance and appreciation of public and private property and buildings.