EU lecturers triumph in Italian saga

Date: 06/07/2000

By Rory Watson

A DOZEN foreign language lecturers who have fought for 11 years to have their EU rights recognised by the Italian authorities have won their battle to be reinstated by the University of Verona.

A Trieste appeals tribunal concluded that the teachers had been unfairly dismissed in October 1996 when they refused to be downgraded from teaching staff to laboratory technicians, losing status and parity with Italian colleagues. The university was also ordered to pay salary arrears of €1.6 million and damages.

The decision could pave the way for the reinstatement of up to 1,000 lecturers across the country who are fighting for the right to equal treatment and free movement in the EU.

Despite three European Court of Justice rulings, with a fourth case now under way, and two resolutions from the European Parliament, Italy has still not taken steps to end the dispute.

France is planning to use its presidency to raise the issue with Union ambassadors. The saga was also discussed last month with close advisers to European Commission President Romano Prodi. The lecturers have accused the Italian authorities of providing the Commission with false information in the current case before the ECJ and are demanding that Italy be brought to court.

To reinforce their case, the language teachers were due to hand a petition to the Commission today (6 July) signed by 466 of their colleagues rejecting Italy's claims that they were prepared to be professionally downgraded.

MEPs are expected to debate the teachers" fate during its September plenary session.

The initiative, launched by SNP member Neil MacCormick, has already won the support of the legal affairs committee. "What is the point of messing around with a new charter of rights if it takes more than 11 years to enforce the rights people already have?" said MacCormick.

A dozen foreign language lecturers who have fought for 11 years to have their EU rights recognised by the Italian authorities have won their battle to be reinstated by the University of Verona.