Labor Charter

The Labor Charter



Art. 1. The Italian nation is an organism, having aims, life, and

means of action superior to those of the single or grouped

individuals who compose it. It is a moral, political and economic

unity which is completely realized in the Fascist State.



Art. 2. Labor in all forms, intellectual, technical and manual, is a

social duty. In this sense, and in this sense only, is it protected by

the State. From the national point of view all production is a unit;

its objects are unitary and can be defined as the well-being of the

producers and the development of national strength.



Art. 3. Trade or syndicate organization is free. But only the

syndicate regularly recognized and placed under the control of the

State has the legal right to represent the entire group of employers

or of workers for which it is constituted, to guard their interests

before the state or other organized economic groups, to draw up

collective labor contracts, obligatory on all those belonging to the

same group, to impose contributions (taxes) on them and exercise

delegated functions of public interest relating to them.



Art. 4. In collective labor contracts, the solidarity of the various

factors of production finds its concrete expression in the

reconciliation of the opposing interests of employers and workers,

and in their subordination to the superior interests of production.



Art. 5. The labor court is the organ through which the State

intervenes to solve labor controversies, whether they deal with the

observance of contracts or other existing standards, or with the

determination of new labor conditions.



 Art. 6. Legally organized trade organizations assure legal equality

between employers and workers, maintain the discipline of

production and labor, and promote its perfection. A corporation

constitutes the organization of one field of production and

represents its interests as a whole. Since the interests of production

are national interests, the corporations are recognized by law as

state organizations by virtue of this representation.



Art. 7. The Corporate State considers private initiative in the field

of production the most efficacious and most useful instrument in

the interest of the nation. Private organization of production being

a function of national interest, the organization of the enterprise is

responsible to the State for the direction of its production.

Reciprocity of the rights and duties is derived from the

collaboration of the productive forces. The technician, office

employee and worker is an active collaborator in the economic

undertaking, the direction of which is the right of the employer,

who has the responsibility for it.



Art. 8. Trade associations of employers are obliged to promote in

every way the increase and perfection of products and a reduction

in costs. The representatives of those who exercise a liberal

profession or an art, and the associations of public employees, join

in the guardianship of the interests of art, science and letters, in the

perfection of production and in the attainment of temporal aims of

the corporate system.



Art. 9. The intervention of the State in economic production takes

place only when private initiative is lacking or is insufficient, or

when the political interests of the State are involved. Such

intervention may assume the form of outside control,

encouragement or direct management.



Art. 10. Labor disputes which involve groups can have no resort to

the Labor Court until the corporation has exhausted its efforts for

reconciliation. When individuals are involved in relation to the

interpretation of collective contracts, the workers associations are

empowered to attempt settlement. . . .



Art. 11. The trade associations are obliged to regulate by means of

collective contracts the labor relations between the employers and

employees. . . . Every collective labor contract, under penalty of

nullification, must contain precise statements ... of the amount and

manner of payment of wages, and the hours of labor.



Art. 12. The syndicate operation, the corporations' mediation and

the labor court decisions shall guarantee the relation between

wages and normal living costs. . . .



Art. 13. Losses due to crises in business and the fluctuations in

exchange must be equally divided between the two elements

(capital and labor). . . .



Art. 14. Wages should be paid as best suited to the needs of

employee and the undertaking. When payment is by piecework

. . . suitable weekly or fortnightly accountings must be

furnished. Night work . . . must be paid at higher rates than day

work. . . .



Art. 15. Employees have the right of a weekly rest day,

Sunday. . . . Collective contracts . . . shall ensure respect for civil

and religious holidays. Employees must scrupulously and earnestly

observe working hours.



Art. 16. After a year's uninterrupted service in a concern doing

continuous work, the employee has the right to an annual holiday

with pay.



Art. 17. In companies functioning the year round the employee has

the right in case of discharge through no fault of his own to

compensation based on the years of service. Likewise, in case of

death.



Art. 18. The transfer of a firm into new hands shall not affect the

labor contracts. . . . Illness of an employee does not cancel his

contract. Call to service in the army or navy or Fascist militia shall

not cause the dismissal of an employee.



Art. 19. Infractions of discipline, and acts disturbing the normal

functioning of a concern shall he punished by fine, suspension, or

immediate discharge without compensation. . . .



Art. 20. Newly hired employees shall have a period of trial in

which the right to cancel the contract is reciprocal and payment

only for actual time of work.



Art. 21. Collective labor contracts extends its benefits to workers

at home. . . .



Art. 22. The State shall ascertain and control employment and

unemployment since these are the indices of production and labor.



Art. 23. Labor exchanges (employment bureaus) shall be

controlled by the Corporations. Employers shall be required to

engage workers through these exchanges, with freedom of choice

among names inscribed except that other things being equal,

preference must be given to members of the Fascist Party and of

Fascist syndicates in order of seniority of registration.



Art. 24. Professional trades associations must practice selective

action among members for the purpose of increasing technical skill

and moral value.



Art. 25. The corporations must see that the laws are observed

governing safety, preventing accidents, sanitation.



Art. 26. Insurance is an excellent example of the spirit of

collaboration between classes. Employers and employees

contribute to the cost proportionately. . . .



Art 27. The Fascist State proposes to bring about:

1. Improvement in accident insurance.

2. Improvement in extension of maternity assurance.

3. Compulsory insurance against occupational diseases and

tuberculosis, first step towards compulsory insurance against all

disease.

4. Improvement in unemployment insurance.

5. Adoption of special marriage endowment for young workers.



Art. 28. It is the duty of the employees associations to protect

members administratively and legally in problems arising in

connection with accidents or other form of social insurance. . . .



Art. 29. The associations must provide relief for workers they

represent whether they be members or non-members. . . .



Art. 30. Education and training, especially technical training, shall

be one of the chief duties of the professional trade associations

towards members and non-members. They shall support the

Dopolavoro (recreational institution) and other national

educational enterprises.