The wind of Elon Musk’s cuts also arrives in Italy. After thousands of layoffs in the United States, now it’s up to workers of the military bases In our country, including Aviano, Sigonella, Naples and Vicenza. The case raised is an email sent to employees of the American Defense Department, in which they are asked to provide a detailed list of the activities carried out in the last week to justify their work position. Who does not respond, will be considered resigning.
The order comes directly from the doge, the office for the efficiency of the US government created by Musk to optimize the federal administrative machine. The measure raised alarm in Italy, where many civilian employees of the US bases are in a situation of uncertainty. Italian unions already taken position, declaring this method unacceptable.
Musk brings his “method” to the US bases in Italy
The email sent to the workers of the bases of Aviano, Sigonella, Naples, Vicenza and Camp Darby is clear, but not simple: each civil employee must provide five detailed points on the results obtained in the previous week. The message, signed by Pete Hegseth, secretary of the US defense, also warns that the failure to respond will be considered as one voluntary discharge.
Musk had already anticipated the strategy on February 28, writing on x the same identical words:
All federal employees will receive an email in which they will ask them to explain what they have done in the last week. Failure to response will be considered as a discharge.
The measure falls within the restructuring plan of the public administration wanted by Donald Trump, with the aim of eliminating alleged waste and positions deemed superfluous.
Unions on the war footing
The email created alarm among the workers, who turned to the unions. On the sidelines of the celebrations for the 75 years of Uil, the general secretary Pierpaolo Bombardieridefined the “unacceptable” measure and attacked the Musk method:
Rather than asking workers if they are useful, managers should be asked how they organize the job. Here in Italy the contracts apply and there are no justifications for summary layoffs.
Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs have also activated themselves to obtain answers and check if there are real consequences for Italian employees. At the moment it seems that the email is intended only for American workers, but uncertainty remains. So the unions ask for a national comparison.
Who risks the place?
The exact number of the US bases in Italy is reserved, but it is estimated that there are about 12 thousand American soldiers in our country. The main bases include:
- Aviano (Friuli Venezia Giulia);
- Sigonella (Sicily);
- Naples (seat of the sixth US fleet);
- Camp Darby (Pisa);
- Vicenza (Camp Ederle, home of the 173rd aerotrasported brigade);
- Ghedi (Brescia, deposit of US nuclear bombs).
The email of the Department of Defense has reached thousands of workers of these known bases, but it is clear that the invitation to respond is wider. The fear is also that the email can open the way for onewave of layoffs in the basis, with repercussions also on Italian employees.
