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EU Court Strikes Down Italy’s School Support-Staff Hiring System

The ruling forces Rome to rewrite school hiring rules for non-teaching staff to meet EU limits on temporary contracts.

Overview

  • Europe’s top court upheld the European Commission’s infringement case on Wednesday, declaring Italy’s framework for hiring administrative, technical and auxiliary school staff unlawful under EU rules.
  • The judges found Italy sets no cap on how long or how many times fixed-term contracts can be renewed for these roles.
  • The court said a rule that lets workers compete for permanent posts only after two years on temporary contracts pushes schools to use temps to fill long-term needs.
  • Ad hoc and unpredictable competitions for open-ended jobs do not stop abuse from back-to-back temporary deals, according to the ruling.
  • Italy is now obligated to change its law, and the Commission will track compliance, a shift that could bring more stable jobs for the staff who keep schools running day to day.