Italy: supplementary health insurance increasingly wins over wage increases

More and more businesses introduce supplementary health care plans among mutual insurance companies, insurance companies, corporate funds and sectoral funds for their employees. Luxottica, the Italian frame case manufacturer, recently signed a union agreement for its 7,300 employees, which will enter into force in September and which covers dental care, major surgeries, top diagnosis…. The center-left weekly, L’Espresso, is taking stock of this theme in its latest issue, saying that unions increasingly bank on improving or introducing supplementary health care rather than wage increases on the payroll. Paolo da Lan, regional Uilm-Uil secretary in Belluno, signatory of Luxottica’s agreement, confirmed, explaining, in the paper, that, when a union requests a €250 wage increase, after expenses, the employees barely gets a half: “€120, i.e. €10 a month.” However, when you allocate the same amount to a fund, there is no taxation, so all of it profits the worker’s health.
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ease, after expenses, the employees barely gets a half: “€120, i.e. €10 a month.” However, when you allocate the same amount to a fund, there is no taxation, so all of it profits the worker’s health.

Investing into health. Ducati, Siemens, Gucci, Anas, Delonghi, Sky, Campari, Granarolo, Finmeccanica and Fedrigoni are some of the first major groups in Italy to have introduced supplementary health insurance via company agreements. Unions are first in line when it comes to spreading this form of he

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