Italy: national collective agreement for chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector renewed six months in advance

Following some quick-fire negotiations, Italian employer organisations Federchimica and Farmindustria reached an agreement with trade unions Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl, Uiltec, Ugl Chimici, Failc-Confail and Fialc-Cisal on a renewal of the national collective agreement (CCN) for the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry, which expires at the end of the year. Agreed on 19 July, the new CCN will be valid from 1 January 2019 until 30 June 2022, represents a first test of the collective bargaining reform approved at the end of February by Confindustria, Cgil, Cisl and Uil (see article n°10581). The agreement for the chemical and pharmaceuticals industry includes not only a 97-euro increase of minimum wages but new innovative measures, such as adjusting to inflation, work-life balance and guiding company-level negotiations. It will be applicable to 176,000 workers, who are due to give their view on the text.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

Pay rises. As under the agreement of 28 February, reached by Confindustria, Cgil, Cisl and Uil, the new collective agreement provides for pay rises at two levels. Minimum wages, labelled in the February agreement as the trattamento economico minimo (TEM), will be increased by 97 euros in four stages: by 30 euros in January 2019, 27 euros in January 2020, 24 euros in July 2021, and 16 euros in June 2022. Meanwhile the so-called trattamento economic complessivo, which comprises the TEM plus addit

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
France: social partners’ conference on work, employment, and retirement sets out roadmap
Until the summer, French social partners from both the private and public sectors will hold talks on labour, employment and pensions, with the aim of developing shared positions to inform public...
ENI incorporates just transition and AI into global agreement
On 13 January, Italian energy group ENI renewed its global agreement on international industrial relations, corporate social responsibility and the just transition with Italian unions CGIL, CISL...
5 February 2026
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
2026 TRENDS — Social dialogue, a major challenge in the deployment of AI in companies
mind RH is analysing the trends that will shape 2026. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a force that goes far beyond efficiency gains and productivity improvements. It is reshaping tasks...
4 February 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”
In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...
2
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
3
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
4
Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit
The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...
5
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026
6
EU: banking sector social partners commit to combating violence and harassment
On 15 January, the trade union federation UNI Europa Finance and three employers’ associations in the banking sector signed a joint statement on preventing violence and harassment in the...