In September 1999, a new national collective agreement for the Italian commerce sector was signed. The agreement's provisions include: wage increases; a working time reduction linked to flexibility; new part-time work regulations; and new sickness and maternity leave regulations.
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In September 1999, a new national collective agreement for the Italian commerce sector was signed. The agreement's provisions include: wage increases; a working time reduction linked to flexibility; new part-time work regulations; and new sickness and maternity leave regulations.
On 20 September 1999, after several months of talks and a number of national strikes called by the trade unions with the aim of overcoming employers' resistance, the national collective agreement for the commerce sector was renewed by the sectoral trade unions affiliated to the Cgil, Cisl and Uil confederations - Filcams, Fisascat and Uiltucs- and the sectoral employers' association, Confcommercio.
The new agreement respects the guidelines for sectoral bargaining fixed by the July 1993 national tripartite agreement and reconfirmed by the tripartite "social pact" of December 1998 (IT9901335F), but also introduces important novelties in terms of Italian industrial relations.
Participatory industrial relations are strengthened thanks to the establishment of a "national observatory" and a number of "territorial observatories", aimed at drawing up and implementing joint initiatives on employment, the labour market and vocational training. The decentralised bargaining level - ie company or territorial agreements - is strengthened: it will be responsible for dealing with working time flexibility and the establishment and allocation of funds for complementary healthcare services.
On the issue of flexibility, the use of fixed-term contracts has been extended. Companies may now have recourse to this kind of employment relationship to substitute for workers on holiday or on maternity or study leave, and for workers involved in trade union or public activities, and to handle the extra work linked to particular activities or events. The use of temporary agency work has also been extended. Temporary agency workers may be used for temporary administrative, book-keeping and technical activities, for the organisation of fairs, exhibitions or similar events, for special maintenance activities in plants, and to provide specific assistance as regards health and safety at work.
The possibility of using apprenticeships, according to new regulations (law 196/97 and the "employment pact" of September 1996 - IT9702201F), has been extended. Companies will be able to hire young people aged between 16 and 24 on such contracts. The remuneration will correspond to 70% of the collectively agreed minimum during the first half of the apprenticeship period and to 85% during the second half. The apprenticeship period (from 12 to 36 months) will vary according to the job classification level. The possibility of hiring young apprentices is extended to high school and university graduates.
Three different working time schedules have been introduced to allow companies to deal with their most intense periods of activity. They provide for flexibility and a reduction of the normal working time, as it will be possible for employees to:
vary their hours around the collectively agreed normal weekly working time of 39 hours, with a maximum of 48 hours per week, for up to 24 weeks, and to accumulate 70 minutes of paid leave each week (equivalent to a total working time reduction of 28 hours);
vary their weekly hours around 39 hours, with a maximum of 44 hours per week, for up to 24 weeks, and to accumulate 45 minutes of paid leave each week (equivalent to a total working time reduction of 18 hours); or
vary their weekly hours around 39 hours, with a maximum of 44 hours per week, for up to 16 weeks, and to accumulate 45 minutes of paid leave each week (equivalent to a total working time reduction of 12 hours).
In all three cases, the hours worked above the normal bargaining working time will be recuperated during the reference period, while 50% of the working time reduction will be taken collectively and 50% will be placed in an "hours account" and used individually by workers.
The minimum weekly working hours for workers involved in part-time work have been increased from 12 to 16. Moreover, companies will be able to use part-time contracts of eight hours per week for Saturday working - students and people already working on open-ended part-time contracts for other companies will be able to apply for these jobs. Job-sharing has also been introduced, whereby two people may share the responsibilities and tasks of one job.
Workers absent through injury will be able to maintain their jobs until they are completely recovered, even where this involves periods of unpaid leave. The remuneration for workers on compulsory maternity leave will be taken on by the employer and will correspond to 100% of monthly net pay.
The average pay increase will be ITL 76,000 per month, from September 1999, when all workers will also receive a one-off payment of ITL 120,000 gross.
All the parties involved in the negotiations made positive comments about the new agreement. Gianni Baratta, secretary general of Fisascat Cisl, declared that the agreement "strengthens the rights of workers". Ivano Corradini of Filcams Cgil said that the "balance achieved between flexibility and rights is very positive." Sergio Billé, president of Confcommercio, declared that the agreement "met the needs of the companies as regards flexibility and industrial relations".
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (1999), New national agreement signed in commerce, article.
