by InTrieste
The regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia announced a temporary financial support plan on Thursday for Italian civilian employees at the U.S. Air Force base in Aviano who have not received pay for weeks due to the United States federal government shutdown.
Speaking at a meeting with affected workers, Sergio Emidio Bini, the region’s councillor for economic development, said that a consortium of local cooperative banks has agreed to establish a dedicated fund to provide short-term loans to employees who have seen their salaries suspended. Workers would repay the loans once federal paychecks resume.
“This measure is rapid, though temporary, and aims to guarantee liquidity to workers, offering them tangible support in a short time,” Mr. Bini said, crediting regional president Massimiliano Fedriga and education and labor councillor Alessia Rosolen for coordinating the initiative shortly before the meeting.
The announcement came as dozens of employees at the Aviano base gathered alongside union representatives and the mayor of Aviano, Emanuele Tassan Zanin, to express concerns about the mounting financial strain caused by the shutdown in Washington. The Italian workforce at the base, which supports U.S. military operations in the region, has been without pay for several weeks.
“We are here not only to show solidarity but also to listen, propose and act,” Mr. Bini said. “It is the duty of institutions to provide immediate support within the limits of their authority.”
He emphasized that the plan, designed in cooperation with the region’s cooperative banks, does not resolve the situation created by the U.S. budget impasse but offers “a breath of oxygen” to employees facing a sudden loss of income.
Regional officials said they will continue to monitor the situation and remain in contact with national and U.S. authorities while urging a swift resolution to the standoff in Washington. “Our goal is to leave no one behind,” Mr. Bini said.
