On 07 September, and for the first time since May, Carlo Bonomi, president of the employers' organization Confindustria, met with the general secretaries of the trade unions Cgil, Cisl, and Uil, thereby marking an easing in social relations, following several difficult months. Since his election as head of Confindustria, Mr. Bonomi has repeatedly issued statements that seem to call the Italian collective bargaining model into question and suggest in particular that company agreements should address topics traditionally taken into account in national collective agreements (c.f. article No. 11912). In fact, negotiations over the renewal of several major national collective agreements have stalled or been blocked. This latest meeting has sent a signal of conciliation, which could lead to a resumption of dialogue in various sectors.
Clear signal from Confindustria over collective bargaining. The 07 September meeting primarily focused on renewal of the national collective agreements (NCA). 10 million workers in the private sector, including mechanical and metal workers, are currently waiting for their relevant NCA to be renewed. On its Facebook page, Confindustria has struck a conciliatory note explaining after the meeting that it ‘does not want to block the renewal of the collective agreements, nor does it want to dismantle the national collective agreements.
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