A kind of reflection on the “state of health” of work in Italy, to “understand towards what kind of society we are heading”, and what changes will have most impact “on people’s practical life”. This is how Father Paolo Tarchi, director of the Office of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) for the social and labour apostolate sums up the national meeting of the delegates for social and labour apostolate, which has just ended in Florence on the theme: “ Communicating the Gospel in the changing world of work (and non work)“. The meeting, promoted by the CEI Office in question, was attended by 170 delegates from 70 dioceses (representing all the regions of Italy). Referring to the heated public opinion now going on in Italy on questions connected with new forms of labour and the rights of workers, Tarchi points out: “There’s a need today for a new and more imaginative approach to work which, on the one hand, is able to adjust to new situations, through a form of legislation suitable for regulating the ‘new forms of work’ and, on the other, may take appropriate steps to ensure that ‘flexibility’ be accompanied by appropriate facilities for the protection of workers, to ensure that it be not transformed into precariousness”. “Understanding” work, in this perspective, also means “understanding towards what kind of society we are heading”: and it is just this, adds Father Tarchi, that will be the central theme for the next pastoral year, also in preparation for the next social Week that will be held on the theme “Democracy: new scenarios and new powers” .
