Vatican museum staff start unprecedented legal action over labour conditions
- The workers, mostly museum attendants, say conditions undermine their dignity and health and say their demands and requests were left unanswered for years
- Their petition represents the first formal step in a conciliation process under Vatican law, which could lead to an embarrassing lawsuit against Pope Francis’ administration
Forty-nine Vatican Museums employees have started an unprecedented labour dispute over what they say are unfair and poor conditions at their workplace, which could lead to an embarrassing lawsuit against Pope Francis’ administration.
The workers, mostly museum attendants, have sent a petition to the Vatican’s “Governatorato”, the body that administers the Vatican City State, lamenting rules that cause “labour conditions undermining each worker’s dignity and health”, said lawyer Laura Sgrò, who is representing them.
They include extra work hours paid at lower rates and insufficient health and safety provisions, Sgrò said.
“Workers have decided this action only after all their demands and requests over years were left unanswered,” she said. Unions are not allowed in Vatican City.
A spokesman for the Vatican Museums declined to comment. The news was initially reported on Sunday by the Il Corriere della Sera daily.
The 49 workers, out of a total of around 700 people employed at the Vatican Museums, are all Italian citizens and have been employed at the Vatican for many years.
