Numerous employees complain about what they consider to be unacceptable working conditions in the Vatican. Those affected are now preparing a class action lawsuit.
The Vatican has been criticized for its working conditions. According to reports in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, almost 50 employees of the Vatican Museums are threatening a class action lawsuit against the Holy See due to “unreasonable” working conditions. The employees, including caretakers, museum guards, a restorer and a bookstore employee, have already sent a written complaint to the Papal State’s state administration and are demanding an improvement in their work situation.
In the letter, delivered by well-known Vatican lawyer Laura Sgrò, the employees address Spanish Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, president of the governorate and quasi-head of government of the Vatican. They describe that their working conditions violate their “dignity and health,” according to “Corriere della Sera.” If the work rules are not fundamentally changed, they threaten to sue the Vatican.
In addition to what they see as insufficient pay and a lack of health protection, the employees also criticize the safety precautions in the museums, according to reports in “Spiegel”. They complain that up to 30,000 visitors are allowed daily, even though the maximum number of visitors is 24,000 per day. In addition, the small number of gendarmes leads to security problems for the guards, who are often attacked by intrusive visitors, it continues.
The Corriere also reports that employees who were forced to stay at home during the pandemic are being withheld part of their salary in order to pay off their “hourly debt”. The plaintiffs claim that this effectively means that employees will be asked to pay back part of the salary paid during the lockdown.
According to the Italian newspaper, the lawsuit also denounces discrimination in the allocation of earnings classes. The employees also accuse the Vatican of punishing employees who have to care for sick family members.
Such a class action lawsuit would be a novelty in Pope Francis’ Vatican. Exactly how such a lawsuit would proceed remains unclear. According to “Spiegel”, the employees had already tried to reach an agreement with the Holy See in the past, but without success. The deep frustration is clear in her letter: “The Pope talks about rights, but we are viewed as mere commodities.”
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