Italian unions agree changes to national agreement

Two of Italy’s main unions in the metalworking sector have signed a deal which allows for greater flexibility in the operation of the national agreement. However, FIOM, the largest union in the industry, has refused to sign, calling the deal “an attack not just on metalworkers, but on the whole world of work”.

The background to the deal is the growing split between FIOM, affiliated to the CGIL union confederation, and the two other main unions in the industry which are FIM, part of the CISL confederation, and UILM, part of UIL (see Workplace Report September 2010, page 8).

In the latest development, the representatives of FIM and UIL signed an agreement with the employers’ association Federmeccanica, allowing the existing national agreement to be modified by local deals at company level. It was signed on 29 September.

The agreement states that these local deals can be reached “to aid the economic development” of the company, or to counteract the “economic and employment effects flowing from the crisis.” However, these local deals cannot alter minimum pay rates or service-related increments, which remain as set out in the national agreement.

FIOM sees this as “effectively cancelling” the national agreement and has called on its members to demonstrate against it. However, FIM and UILM in a joint statement say the new deal “reinforces” it. They argue that similar arrangements have been reached in other industries with the support of other unions belonging to CGIL.