The Port Network Authority has set up a Joint Committee for Equal Opportunity, the public administration body with the task of proposing, advising and verifying equal opportunities, organizational well-being and combating discrimination.
The first official act of the Committee, which met yesterday for the first time, was the resolution to approve its Statute, which is the legal and organizational basis on which the C.U.G. (Comitato Unico di Garanzia – Joint Committee for Equal Opportunity) is founded, defining its fundamental principles, tasks and operating methods.
The main points include promoting equal opportunities between men and women; preventing and combating all forms of discrimination, both direct and indirect; promoting initiatives to improve well-being at work and work-life balance; and guaranteeing a safe working environment that respects the dignity of every individual.
The Committee also presented its annual work plan, drawn up in collaboration with the Authority’s various departments. It consists of a series of initiatives aimed at promoting a culture of inclusion and equality. Planned activities include training and awareness-raising courses on diversity and inclusion; activities to monitor and assess working conditions; projects promoting work-life balance; and employee listening and support programmes.
“This organization firmly believes in working well and in the daily commitment to overcoming inequality and affirming people’s rights,” said PNA President Luciano Guerrieri. “There is still a long way to go before we succeed in completely removing the obstacles that currently prevent genuine equality in the workplace, especially in Italian ports. However, I believe that setting up the CUG is an important step in this direction,” he added.
Established by Presidential Decree No. 115, the CUG consists of 13 members and substitutes, six of whom represent trade unions.
PNA senior executive, Antonella Querci, head of the Innovation & Development Dept., has been appointed president of the Equal Opportunity Committee.
PNA official, Silvia Fugi, the Authority’s national representative in the ‘Gender Inequality’ work group coordinated by Assoporti (the Italian Port Association), was appointed as a permanent invitee at the Committee’s meetings, without the right to vote.
“We believe that setting up the CUG to be a very significant step forward, an opportunity to reaffirm that there should be no discrimination on the basis of gender, religion or origin in the workplace,” said the Port Network Authority’s Managing Director, Matteo Paroli. “I am confident that the Committee will soon be able to achieve important results on the path towards fully implementing the principles of equality and equal opportunities between women and men in employment and training. Gender equality is not only a fundamental right, but also a key factor for the sustainable development and competitiveness of our port,” he concluded.
“We are proud to begin this new phase with the establishment of the Joint Committee for Equal Opportunity,” said Antonella Querci. “Our commitment is to set up a fair, inclusive working environment, where every individual can feel appreciated and respected. Over the next few weeks, we will kick off the Equality Certification Project, an innovative initiative aimed at promoting and guaranteeing gender equality and equal opportunities in the port and the activities associated with it,” she added, stressing that ‘this project represents a fundamental step forward for our port community.”
Translation by Giles Foster