QUALITALY_129

June/July 202 2 VIII MAGAZINE pandemic. “In the two-year period 2019- 2021 we lost about 200,000 workers,” he says, “of which 130,000 are permanent and therefore have acquired skills. But even in the past we felt the lack of professional skills. Then there are the labour policies that favour subsidies over facilitating the matching of labour supply and demand. Finally, there are the sociological components: workers have learned to appreciate smart working, which is not possible in our sector. They look for less stressful environments. Catering involves working on holidays or when others are on holiday. Reconciling the demands of this work with one’s personal life will be one of the keys to be addressed in the near future’. Then there is the economic aspect. Reports of unacceptable remuneration for the number of hours (even 12-13) required are flooding in on social networks. “I don’t deny that there is some malpractice that, as an association, we condemn and try to fight,’ Moretti comments in this regard, ‘but the remuneration provided for by the national contract is 1,600 euro gross per month, which can rise to 2,500-3,000 euro for more professional figures. Then there are bonuses for holiday shifts, welfare benefits... For the most part these are permanent contracts, but there are also seasonal contracts. More than 50% of those employed are women and many are young. The fact that young people are questioning the work-life relationship puts us in a crisis, and moreover, in the face of the shortage of personnel today, those who apply are making demands that exceed the minimums laid down in national contracts, and this puts entrepreneurs in a difficult position’. DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES Angelo Salonna , a chartered accountant and partner at Proactiva Corporate & Tax with clients also in the hospitality sector, lists some of the reasons that in his opinion have led to this situation. ‘There is a general shortage of staff, not only in the restaurant sector,’ he says, ‘and in my opinion the cause is not just citizenship income: if they took it away tomorrow the problem would not be solved. There are demographic reasons and sociological causes. Young people today are less ‘hungry’ for work, driven also by parents who do not let them lack money and who find sources of income in areas that years ago did not even exist, such as through social media, which is less tiring. In the majority of establishments, the waiter works split hours: to cover the lunch and dinner service he remains busy throughout the day. Then the fact that entrepreneurs pay workers less than they are told is real in some areas of Italy. It is not a phenomenon that only affects the restaurant industry, but it exists. I don’t know what measures can solve the problem. Some of my clients have hired staff from Eastern Europe, guaranteeing an adequate salary. From an institutional point of view, I think we should help young people, especially those who do not want to study, to enter the world of work early’. TRUE SUSTAINABILITY IS IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Proof that something can be done comes from Ristorante Arnolfo, a two-star restaurant in Colle di Val d’Elsa (Si). “I believe,” says chef Gaetano Trovato , “that in the last 20 years school training has failed to give young people the right stimuli to do this job. There is a lot of talk about sustainability in the kitchen, but for me the real sustainability is that of work: protecting the youngsters by giving them a contract that allows them to support themselves. The ‘behind the scenes’ of a photo session at Ristorante Arnolfo tells the story of the atmosphere among the staff members. Seated in the centre is Chef Gaetano Trovato; the second standing from the left is dining room manager Calogero Milazzo