Giorgia Meloni hails “fair‑salary” win at UIL congress, pledges tax cut for contract renewals

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed the UIL national congress in Padova on 2 July 2026, declaring the decision to link a “fair salary” to the overall economic treatment of collective contracts a “victory for all Italian workers”. She noted that Italy now records the highest ever employment rate and the lowest historic unemployment rate, both overall and among young people. Meloni highlighted that stable contracts have risen by 1.2 million since the start of the legislature while precarious contracts have fallen.

The premier announced the government’s support for a 5 % tax deduction on wage increases tied to private‑sector contract renewals – a measure requested by the UIL and other unions that she said would be confirmed in the next budget law. She also paid tribute to the more than 1,000 workers who die each year on the job, referencing the case of Luana D’Orazio and calling each death “a defeat for all”. Meloni underscored a zero‑tolerance policy on caporalato and stressed that she is the only prime minister to have met the three main union confederations (CGIL, CISL, UIL) during her mandate.