Italy's government approved Friday the framework of Prime Minister Mario Monti's contentious labour reform package after weeks of bitter negotiations with employers and trade unions. The cabinet adopted a draft version of the package, the details of which will be fine-tuned by ministers before the plan goes to parliament in the coming weeks, the government said in a statement.
"The cabinet approved today a draft bill on labour reform, which the country has long been waiting for and which Europe has hoped for," it said. "It was debated with social partners with the aim of creating a dynamic, flexible and inclusive labour market capable of contributing to growth (and) spurring the development and competitiveness of businesses," it added.
The government rushed to put the plan to the cabinet after Italy's largest union, the CGIL, called for a strike and Monti resigned himself to having to forge ahead with his plan to ease job cutting without full backing. Parliament will have the last say on whether Monti's reform passes.