Rome hires private staff to scan civil documents.

Rome city hall has been forced to hire external staff to scan civil documents after city employees claimed the task was beneath them, according to daily newspaper Il Messaggero.

The municipal workers allegedly object to scanning documents, a task they deem to be at a "lower level", reports Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The city's registry office issued a circular, published by Il Messaggero, saying that its staff could not be counted on to scan documents as "it is forbidden by the national collective agreement to be assigned to a continuous activity corresponding to a lower professional profile."

Private workers are now reportedly undertaking the 1,200 scans a day as part of the city's efforts to move away from paper and allow citizens to access their civil documents online.

See related article on dealing with red tape in Italy.