Pope Francis Speaks Against Capitalism's Greed
Employees of a pay-TV channel in Rome who are about to lose their jobs found an ally in Pope Francis who delivered a strongly worded message during his weekly general audience by saying that employers who rob people of work are committing "a grave sin."
The pope said companies that threaten their employees' livelihood for the sake of business deals commit a sin that robs men, women and their families of their dignity. The statement was an apparent swipe at Sky Italia which announced the transfer of its news operation to Milan.
"Whoever, because of economic maneuvering and business dealings that are not all transparent, closes factories and businesses and takes work away from men and women commits a grave sin," Crux Now quoted the pope as saying.
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"Work gives us dignity," he went on. "Those who are responsible for people, managers, are obliged to do all that is possible so that every man and woman can work, and thus be able to walk with their heads held high, to look other people in the face with dignity."
Sky Italia is implementing an "organizational transformation plan" for its offices in Rome, Milan and Cagliari. The plan calls for Sky TG24 news channel to transmit from its Milan Santa Giulia hub. This will result in the transfer of production facilities and 300 workers from Rome and the dislocation of 200 others.
The leading pay-TV operator, which is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp empire, is pushing with the reorganization plan despite reporting an operating profit that is at its highest in five years at £1.263 billion for the second half of 2016, according to Bloomberg.
CEO Andrea Zappia blamed rising costs and Rome's outdated digital infrastructure. "One has to think twice about doing business in Rome these days," he said. "Rome doesn't have a plan for digital development. Sky needs to invest in a context of guarantees and stability."
