Italy: fashion and textile sector trade unions present platform of demands for collective agreement renewal

A 115-euro wage increase, efforts to combat dumping – a practice that remains commonplace at subcontracting companies, the development of second-level collective bargaining, and the strengthening of social protection: these are the main points that the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec unions are putting on the table for the renewal of their national collective agreement (CCN), which expires on 31 March. The fashion and textile sector is of strategic importance in Italy and the agreement covers around 400,000 employees at some 46,000 companies. The renewal of the national collective agreement is an opportunity to “structure pathways of social responsibility” and to “promote an industrial policy that relaunches the sector’s strategic priorities”, according to the unions. As the textile and fashion sectors are still characterised by working arrangements on the margins of legality (including completely illegal production districts), the unions are calling on companies to commit not to work with subcontractors in dumping conditions. They also want to set up joint monitoring and traceability procedures for the production sectors. Furthermore the trade unions are demanding guidelines for worker participation in organising; a strengthening of collective bargaining at the territorial or sectoral level for companies without trade union agreements, addressing in particular issues related to work-life balance and generational renewal; an increase in employer contributions to supplementary pensions; and the adoption of a joint declaration against gender violence, also ensuring better assistance to victims.