Vatican Museum employees, supervisors, and bookstore staff have penned a letter to the Vatican, demanding better working conditions. They are unhappy with low-paying overtime and the lack of support measures during crises such as the corona pandemic. The workers have enlisted the help of lawyer Laura Sgro to address their concerns, highlighting their treatment as mere commodities despite the high volume of visitors at the museums.
The employees raised several issues in their letter, including the lack of air conditioning in rooms, a small number of gendarmes leading to security concerns for guards, and an overall disregard for their rights as workers. Despite reaching out to Vatican Museums management for a resolution, there has been no response yet. The workers are primarily Romans who form part of Vatican City’s workforce, which includes gardeners, supermarket clerks, museum guards, and cleaners.
While full-time working hours are 36 hours per week with benefits like seniority allowance and inflation compensation, income tax is not levied on their salaries. The employees are pushing for better working conditions and fair treatment, emphasizing their rights as workers in the Vatican Museums and other areas of the Holy See.
