The increases in electricity and gas will have very serious effects on the employment front. This is said by the CGIA Studies Office which estimates at least 500 employees in Italy in the energy-intensive sectors who, due to the rise in bills, could temporarily stay at home in the first six months of 2022.
In the coming months, in fact, with annual variations in tariffs that in some sectors risk reaching +250 per cent, many companies in the glass, paper, ceramics, cement, plastic, brick production, heavy mechanics, 'food, chemicals, etc., could be forced to stop production, because they are unable to cope with the exponential increase in these fixed costs.
• Made in Italy suffers
This explosion in prices affects all businesses without distinction, even if some excellences of our Made in Italy risk much more than others. Sectors that are currently making a fundamental contribution to the economic recovery of the country, with levels of sales abroad that have never been reached before. In fact, there are not a few territorial realities that will have to deal with the next increases, with the result that for many companies it will be cheaper to turn off the machinery, hopefully temporarily, than to keep the plants on.
• Many production districts at risk
The difficulties, according to the craftsmen of Mestre, have already emerged in recent months, especially in the following production districts:
• Lucca-Capannori paper factory;
• Plastics from Treviso, Vicenza and Padua;
• Metalli of Brescia-Lumezzane;
• Low Mantuan metalworker;
• Metalworker of Lecco;
• Sassuolo tiles;
• Termomeccanica Padova;
• Murano's glass.
As we know, the CGIA commented, the reasons behind the price hike are many, even if two, in particular, have deeply affected the growth trend in this second part of the year. Firstly, there is the issue of purchasing CO2 emission rights (the price of which has quadrupled in recent months and, for at least 40 per cent, is being passed on to the cost of energy). Secondly, the unsuccessful natural gas supply policy which has shown many limits, causing prices to jump more than six times compared to the first months of this year.
• Another 6 billion to mitigate the increases
Hoping that this blaze will end by the first part of 2022, it can only be tackled with a buffer measure. According to the CGIA Studies Office, in fact, the Government should increase the measures already taken with the 2022 Budget Law, making at least € 1 billion per month available to companies until next June.
• The provisions of the 2022 Budget Law
To mitigate the increase in the so-called expensive bills, in the second part of this year the Draghi government allocated 4,7 billion euros; while with the budget law for 2022 it made € 3,8 billion available, introducing the possibility of formulating installment plans for families most in difficulty with the payment of electricity and gas utilities. In particular, 1,8 billion euros will allow the elimination of system charges in electricity bills applied to households and micro-enterprises with the aim of lightening the bill paid by 29 million households and about 6 million micro-enterprises as commercial activities. , artisanal and professional. As for gas, in addition to the cut in charges (which are lower than those of the electricity bill), there is also a 5% VAT reduction for both civil and industrial gas supplies (respectively 10 percent and 22 percent). In addition, the strengthening of the social bonus, the discount on the bill for families with economic and physical hardship, was also reiterated, in order to eliminate the effect of the increases.
• Employees in energy-intensive production sectors
According to an estimate made by the CGIA Studies Office, there are almost 1,8 million employees in Italy in sectors characterized by high energy consumption: food industry; textile; manufacture of paper and paper products; chemical industry; manufacture of rubber and plastic materials; manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products; metallurgical industry; manufacture of metal products and related treatments. According to the CGIA, of these 1,8 million employees, just under 30 percent, in absolute terms around 500 units, could be forced to stay at home temporarily due to the shutdown imposed by the surge in energy costs.
