Following 18 months of discussions, Confindustria president, Vincenzo Boccia and the secretaries general of the Cgil, Cisl, and Uil unions came to agreement on 28 February over a text that is set to modernize Italy's industrial relations landscape. The agreement sets a framework for both levels of negotiations (national collective conventions and company agreements), indicates arrangements for calculating salary rises, and recognizes the need to manage employers' organization representation so as to curb the proliferation of 'bargain basement' sector agreements. The agreement, eked out after last minute negotiations aimed at assuaging the Cgil, has been formulated just ahead of the legislative elections on 04 March. By introducing the principle of a minimum salary level and universal compensation for all sector employees, the social partners intend to pull the rug from under the feet of the political parties who are seeking to impose a national minimum wage.
With this document, the ‘Contenuti e indirizzi delle relazioni industriali e della contrattazione collective’ that is set for official signature on 09 March, the social partners reaffirm the role for collaboration, and for themselves within the political debate. Although the text primarily sets out major principles and will affect specific agreements in the future, it also innovates on several topics and tightens the relationship between salary rises and productivity levels.
Two-tier negotiation
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