Varese, 3 Sept. (AKI) - During the current economic crisis where jobs are scarce, it is no longer adequate to send a resume or respond to a job advertisement. That is the view of an Italian supermarket in the northwestern city of Varese, which has begun a "job lottery", in which a lucky customer can win a one-year work contract.

The customers must first spend at least 30 euros using their store fidelity card. In return they will receive a scratch-and-win ticket, with the possibility of winning thousands of prizes.

However, if a customer does not win anything, he or she may be among 10 winners selected for a job that pays between 1,000 and 1,200 euros a month for an entire year.

"This prize-winning competition is also to meet the demands of the people of Varese who have been hit by the economic crisis," said Stefano Tarantini, spokesman for the Tigros supermarket chain in an interview with Labitalia-Adnkronos.

"It is an exciting and original idea, created to give to our customers a special prize in light of our 30th anniversary. The prize-winning competition has just begun, we have already distributed more than 15,000 tickets and our customers have responded to the initiative enthusiastically," he said.

However, the local branch of Italy's main trade union organisation CGIL criticised the initiative, saying it "exploits the crisis" and it is nothing more than a "publicity stunt".

The organisation instead asks the Tigros supermarket chain to offer more employees permanent contracts, rather than temporary, renewable, one-year contracts.