Privatisation and outsourcing, stagnating salaries combined with rent increases, non-transparent and non-performance-related promotions, unpublished budget balances - the Vatican trade union ADLV has a long list of alleged grievances.
The association has therefore once again addressed the church employer in an incendiary letter published on Tuesday. There is a lack of communication about planned reforms.
Dissatisfaction is growing mercilessly, writes the Association of Vatican Employees on its website.
"Being part of the community of Vatican employees should mean being a member of a special family characterised by specific values," says the ADLV.
However, it laments the increasing outsourcing of jobs. This would mean a "radical change of course" towards a fully-fledged company: "A somewhat claustrophobic multinational corporation that lacks many of the bonuses, rewards and amenities that external employees enjoy instead."
So-called outsourcing is already affecting cleaning staff and porter services as well as the use of external auditing firms and the management of real estate and securities assets.
Institution is slowly being "deconstructed"
The same fate will soon befall the Vatican supermarket Annona, whose management will be taken over by a "well-known Italian brand".
Although the 30 to 40 employees are to be transferred within the Vatican, it is unclear exactly where.
It is also unclear whether the privatisation will also affect other Vatican-owned companies.
"We have the impression that the organisation is slowly being 'deconstructed'," says the union.
The ADLV claims to have around 600 members.
Unlike regular trade unions in other countries, it does not have the right to strike.
Improvements in working conditions are usually achieved through talks with those responsible for the various bodies in the Vatican.
Due to financial bottlenecks, working conditions have deteriorated to some extent during Pope Francis' pontificate.