ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government won a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday to give final approval to a deregulation package that Prime Minister Mario Monti says is crucial for the future growth of the euro zone's third-biggest economy.
The bipartisan coalition that supports the premier's technocratic government voted 449 to 79 to pass the measures aimed at opening up various areas of the service sector.
The vote is a welcome victory for Monti who now has a real fight on his hands to reform Italy's rigid labour market.
Monti, appointed four months ago to save Italy from ruinous default, faced little opposition to a 33-billion-euro austerity package passed before Christmas that included tax hikes, tough pension cuts, and some reductions to state spending cuts.
First presented in January, the deregulation rules were the subject of a lengthy tug-of-war between political factions in the Senate, but they emerged from the lower house unchanged.
Monti's attempts to introduce far-reaching changes to Italy's economy are now facing their first real test over labour market reform.
Italy's biggest union CGIL called for a general strike to protest against the jobs reform on Wednesday, a day after it was outlined by Monti. CGIL said that more relaxed firing rules will lead to an avalanche of job losses over the next two years.
The deregulation package passed by parliament abolishes minimum tariffs among most professions, except for lawyers, and increases the number of pharmacies nationwide.
It also requires that gas producer ENI give up control of gas distribution network Snam Rete Gas. The decision will only become effective by September 2013, on the basis of a decree to be presented later this year.
Critics point out that the law was watered down in parliament.
The most symbolic retreat by the government was on an attempt to liberalise the issuance of new taxi licenses. The power remains with city mayors and not with a new Transport Authority less susceptible to pressure by the powerful taxi lobby, as the government had originally proposed.
(Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)