Italian employees of US bases did not get paid because of the shutdown

Around two thousand Italian civilian employees working at the US military bases Aviano and Vicenza did not receive their October paychecks due to the US government shutdown. They are employed under Italian labor legislation but are paid by the U.S. armed forces.

The situation does not apply to US Navy employees, who are governed by different rules and received their pay on time. The Italian Foreign Ministry has already entered into negotiations with the US authorities and is demanding an urgent solution.

Minister Antonio Tajani has appealed to Washington and the US embassy in Rome to resolve the situation without delay - regardless of when the shutdown ends.

According to the Italian ministry, the US army and air force are considering using their own resources for the payouts. The shutdown in the US has wide-ranging implications - from unpaid salaries to federal employees to the freezing of some social benefits.

(reuters, mja)