Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
PALERMO – A working situation described as “unsustainable” and marked by “institutionalised precarity”. SINALP Sicilia has turned the spotlight back on the world of ASACOM (autonomy and communication assistants) in Sicily, through its regional secretary Andrea Monteleone, who has launched a fierce attack on regional and local institutions, accusing them of championing school inclusion without providing adequate protections for those who make it a daily reality.
The complaint: contractual uncertainty and hardship in Palermo
Despite the vital role these professionals play in supporting pupils with disabilities—helping them gain autonomy, communicate, learn and socialise—thousands continue to work under highly vulnerable contractual conditions.
The union points the finger at the fragmentation of service contracts and cumbersome administrative mechanisms:
- Ongoing issues in the Palermo area: persistent difficulties in validating hours actually worked, chronic payment delays, buck-passing among the various bodies involved and the frequent requirement to open a VAT number.
- Professional dignity: SINALP says it is unacceptable that a worker should have to “chase signatures, stamps and authorisations” or depend on the financial availability of individual local authorities to receive regular pay.
SINALP’s proposal: a regional body to overcome budget constraints
While acknowledging the funds and resources recently announced by the Region of Sicily, the union reiterates that money alone is not enough unless the organisational model is changed.
Regarding the regional bill under discussion on stabilising ASACOM roles, SINALP warns of the risks tied to budget constraints: linking recruitment to the financial capacity of municipalities (especially those in or near financial distress) risks excluding much of the workforce and ignoring years of field experience.
To escape the emergency corner, regional secretary Andrea Monteleone proposes a radical solution:
- A dedicated regional body: entrusting the management of ASACOM staff and the unified coordination of the service across Sicily to a special body of the Region of Sicily.
- Transitional phase and transparent rules: establishing procedures for registering existing staff, verifying qualifications, reconstructing career paths and defining uniform criteria for recording hours and attendance.
- Permanent technical meeting: an urgent request to convene a technical meeting with regional departments, local authorities, schools, unions and family associations to define a clear timeline.
The final appeal to the regional government is clear: choose between a culture of announcements and the effective protection of workers’ rights and the future of children with disabilities.
