On the lack of effective protection against the abuse of fixed-term contracts for workers employed as seafarers 

The petitioner complains about the situation of workers employed as seafarers in Italy, who are subject to the abuse of fixed-term contracts in violation of the provisions of Directive 1999/70/EC and the European Framework Agreement on fixed-term contracts. In particular, the petitioner complains about the practices of the Capitanerie di porto (port authorities), which manage the public employment offices for seafarers. These authorities systematically circumvent the provisions of Article 326 of the Navigation Code, which provides for a maximum duration of one year for fixed-term contracts. In particular, the petitioner criticises the actions of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI – the company that operates, among other things, ferry services connecting Sicily and Sardinia), which has been using successive 78-day fixed-term contracts since 1995 to deal with its chronic staff shortages. This is an illegal practice that has fuelled a lengthy and extensive dispute between seafarers and RFI. In view of the uncertainty and the risk of unequal treatment resulting from the differing rulings of the competent Italian courts, the petitioner calls on the European Parliament to take action to ensure genuine protection of maritime labour in Italy.