Italian Home Care Workers Face Low Pay and Black‑Market Employment, Threatening Elderly Support

In Piedmont, Italy, domestic workers known as badanti (home caregivers) are rallying for better wages, legal contracts and social protections. Trade unions Filcams Cgil Torino and CGIL Torino say the sector employs more than 1.5 million people nationwide, with about 118 000 in the region, and estimate that at least half work informally, without contracts or benefits.

Workers report unpaid sick leave, minimal pensions and wages that can fall to just a few dozen euros a month. One case highlighted a caregiver who, after a liver transplant diagnosis, lost all income and had to rely on charity. Unions demand a regional registry for caregivers, emergency social funds to cover illness or job transitions, and a technical committee to coordinate support for families and workers. They also call for greater financial aid to families caring for non‑self‑sufficient relatives.

Around 95 % of the caregivers are foreign nationals, facing language barriers and limited access to training, which complicates regularisation. Politicians from the Five Star Movement, the Democratic Party and other parties have voiced support for the proposals, warning that without intervention the care of Italy’s ageing population could be compromised.