Italy: Public sector deal signed

On 18 January 2007, the ministers of the economy and of innovation - Tommaso Padoa Schioppa and Luigi Nicolais, respectively - agreed an important joint memorandum on public sector employment with the general secretaries of the three main trade union confederations - Cgil, Cisl and Uil. The deal provides for new measures regarding workers' mobility, incentives to leave the public service and a new system for evaluating the quality of public services.