Pedersini, Roberto

In June 2004, Fiom-Cgil, the largest trade union in Italy's key metalworking sector, held its national congress in Livorno. The congress concluded with re-election of the organisation's general secretary, Gianni Rinaldini, and adoption of a united final document. The main points discussed were bargaining policy and representation - two themes that are crucial if dialogue is to be restored with the other metalworkers’ unions after a period of conflict and separate agreements.

On 1 December 2003, Italian local public transport workers held strike action in protest against the prolonged delay in renewing their national pay agreement, which expired in late 2001. In the city of Milan, the stoppage - initially announced as being of eight hours’ duration, in compliance with the law on strikes in essential public services - turned into a total blockade of transport services which caused major difficulties for residents. Reactions to this 'wildcat' action from the municipal institutions, the government and the social partners differed in tone and content.

In autumn 2003, the Fiom-Cgil trade union is continuing its campaign for the reopening of negotiations on the metalworking sector collective agreement, which was signed in May 2003 by employers and the other two main metalworkers' unions, Fim-Cisl and Uilm-Uil. As well a series of strikes, Fiom-Cgil has initiated company-level bargaining to conclude 'pre-agreements'- company agreements intended to anticipate the contents of a future new sectoral accord - and thereby compel the employers’ associations to reopen national negotiations. The employers' associations have reacted sharply to Fiom’s initiative, while some firms have concluded such pre-agreements.

In October 2003, an upturn in inflation has sparked debate between the Italian social partners on its structural causes and how it can be brought back into line with the forecast rate of inflation. The Ministry of Production Activities has begun consultations with the social partners and consumers’ organisations in order to draw up intervention measures. From the point of view of industrial relations, the main issue is the future of the incomes policy system.

In June 2003, the Italian government approved a draft decree enacting the recent 'proxy law' on employment and the labour market. The decree envisages numerous measures and innovations in terms of employment services and contracts - such as staff leasing, on-call work, project work and work/training contracts - and of the involvement of the social partners in management of the labour market. Before the decree is finally passed, it will be discussed by the government and the social partners, which have differing views on the proposals.

In May 2003, after four months of intense negotiations, a draft deal on the renewal of the Italian metalworking sector collective agreement for the period 2003-6 was signed by the Federmeccanica employers' organisation and the Fim-Cisl and Uilm-Uil trade unions. However, the Fiom-Cgil union did not sign the agreement and harshly criticised its provisions. As well as pay increases, the new agreement envisages the creation of a new job classification system, the establishment of a sectoral joint body and some measures on continuing training.

After lengthy negotiations, the first sectoral agreement for the Italian railway industry was signed in April 2003. The most important aspect of this deal is the extension to the railway sector of the two-tier collective bargaining structure (sectoral and decentralised), which was introduced in most Italian industries by a July 1993 national tripartite agreement. Among other innovations, the railway sector agreement includes a new personnel classification system and provides for flexible forms of employment. It represents a notable renewal of sectoral industrial relations, carried out in the framework of the current liberalisation of the railway sector based on EU rules.

In February 2003, a new collective agreement for the 280,000 employees of Italian ministries was signed, concluding negotiations which had lasted for 14 months. The deal complies with a framework agreement on public sector bargaining reached in February 2002 in terms of its pay provisions. It also contains innovative provisions on preventing and combating sexual harassment and bullying at the workplace.

The centre-right coalition of parties elected in May 2001, the House of Freedoms (Casa delle Libertà), continued to govern during 2002, led by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The coalition is composed of Forza Italia, the National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale), the Northern League (Lega Nord) and the Centre Christian Democratic Union (Unione Democratica Cristiana di Centro, UDC). The latter party was established through a merger at the end of 2002 between the Christian Democratic Centre (Centro Cristiano Democratico, CCD), the United Christian Democrats (Cristiani Democratici Uniti, CDU) and European Democracy (Democrazia Europea, DE), a party founded by Sergio D’Antoni, the former general of the Italian Confederation of Workers' Unions (Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori, Cisl).

In January 2003, taxi drivers in Milan staged a series of protests against the city council’s plan to increase the number of cab licences. The regional and provincial governments intervened in the dispute in an attempt to find a solution. The Guarantee Commission which oversees application of the law on strikes in essential public services also started a procedure to assess whether these rules had been breached. In February, taxi drivers' representatives and the Milan provincial government reached a deal on the dispute.