Italy will be the first country in the EU to introduce the general corona certificate requirement for the entire working life in mid-October.

According to a cabinet decision of Thursday, workers in public companies and administrations as well as in private companies must have the so-called Green Pass from October 15 when they go to their workplace.

This pass is used to prove vaccination with at least one dose, recovery from Covid 19 disease or a negative test.

In Germany, the obligation to use the Green Pass corresponds to the 3G rule, according to which a facility may only be entered by those who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested.

Matthias Rüb

Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.

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Anyone who goes to their workplace without a Green Pass is fined between 400 and 1000 euros. A termination may not be issued because of a violation of the Green Pass obligation. Different strict certification requirements had already been introduced in various professional fields in the past few months. A basic compulsory vaccination has been in effect for activities in the health and care sector since May. Those who are not vaccinated have to accept a transfer to a work area without contact with patients or those in need of care or expect to be suspended from work without continued payment of wages if no alternative job can be found.Since the beginning of the school year and the autumn semester in September, the green pass has been mandatory for teachers and other staff in the field of education. Students must also have such a certificate.

"More than what is necessary"

With the general green pass requirement for working life, Prime Minister Mario Draghi has prevailed in the broad governing coalition in accordance with his motto, according to which in the fight against the pandemic and specifically against the fourth wave of infections, one must be prepared to "do more than what is necessary" to do. Draghi has announced the introduction of a general compulsory vaccination against the coronavirus for the entire population over twelve years of age if the target of a vaccination rate of 90 percent is not achieved by the end of October. By Wednesday, almost 76 percent of residents over twelve years of age in Italy had been fully vaccinated, and a good 82 percent had received at least one dose. According to estimates by the government in Rome, around 4.1 million workers do not yet have a Green Pass.

Resistance to the green pass requirement in the workplace had lasted in the right-wing national Lega under the former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. "Although we are also in favor of protecting the health of citizens in the workplace, we cannot extend the obligation for the Green Pass to 60 million Italians," said Salvini. But even without the Lega's votes, acceptance of Thursday's cabinet decision in both chambers of parliament is considered certain. In addition to the Lega and the trade unions, the post-fascist party “Brothers of Italy” had asked Giorgia Meloni for free tests for workers. “If the government introduces the green pass requirement for public and private workplaces, then it has to guarantee free rapid tests.These costs cannot be passed on to workers or companies, ”said opposition leader Meloni.

Prime Minister Draghi, however, refused to test free of charge in negotiations with union representatives. Instead, workers and employees concerned should be vaccinated free of charge unless there is a medical contraindication.

The Green Pass as a QR code on the mobile phone or as a certificate on paper was originally developed in the spring to make it easier to travel within the EU during the holiday season.

In Italy, the Green Pass has also been used since the beginning of August as access authorization to museums and events, fitness studios and the interiors of restaurants.

Since the beginning of September, the Green Pass must also be presented in intercity buses, trains and ships.

There have been repeated protests across the country against pandemic-related restrictions in public life, but not a mass movement such as in France. For around two months now, demonstrations against the Green Pass have been held in various large cities on Saturdays with a manageable number of participants. A large protest rally is planned for September 25th in Rome. According to surveys, around four fifths of Italians support the Green Pass, and a comparably high proportion of the population would also approve of the introduction of a general compulsory vaccination.