Italy: Lombard unions and businesses try the “short week” to face the crisis

Whereas today, March 4, the government is gathering 37 union and employers’ organizations to discuss measures to face the crisis, two Lombard businesses have already established, via the existing “solidarity contracts” and “several-week working time”, possible variations of the “short week” presented by the Minister of Labor at the end of 2008 (see our dispatch No. 090023), which he revived last week.
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veral-week working time”, possible variations of the “short week” presented by the Minister of Labor at the end of 2008 (see our dispatch No. 090023), which he revived last week.

Solidarity contracts. Introduced with the law 863/84, solidarity contracts allow to reduce working time by 25-40% as well as employers’ contributions on the wages concerned and to give the employee benefits up to 60% of the lost income. There are two types of systems: the “defensive” contract where the working time redu

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