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The lawyer for 49 Vatican Museum's employees who launched a

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dispute over what they say are poor working conditions.

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Has said the group faced an environment that undermines their

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dignity and health. The employee's unprecedented claims could lead

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to an embarrassing lawsuit against Pope Francis's administration. Laura

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Groll spoke to Reuters on Monday. The employees are

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complaining about labor conditions that violate their dignity and do

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not respect the basic rights of any worker. There

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are some critical points about which the employees have already

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complained several times over the years, even individually having

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received no feedback. They decided to address me jointly

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. They are a small group of almost 50 people

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that I believe will also grow quickly over time.

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Scroll says the group's claims included extra working hours paid

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at lower rates and in sufficient health and safety provisions

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. She added that the group only decided on this

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action after all their demands and requests over years were

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left unanswered. A spokesman for the Vatican museums declined

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to comment. The workers mostly museum attendants sent their

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petition to the Vatican's gover Tao. The body that

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administers the Vatican City state. Around 700 people are

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employed at the Vatican museums. The 49 involved in

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the disputes are all Italian citizens and have been employed

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at the Vatican for many years. Unions are not

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allowed in Vatican City, one of the most visited

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museums in the world. The Vatican museums showcase a

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priceless art collection including Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The petitions

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represent the first formal step in a mandatory conciliation process

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under Vatican law. If the procedure fails, the

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case can then be brought to a Vatican Court.