In March 2005, the Italian government approved an action plan on competitiveness and development, which contains various measures aimed at relaunching the country’s competitiveness. These include a streamlining of bureaucratic procedures, support for companies, investments in infrastructure, action
On 26 February 2005 Italy’s national airline, Alitalia, and the sectoral trade unions signed an agreement implementing the flight attendants’ agreement signed in September 2004. Incentives for early retirement, new remuneration system and a 'contribution of solidarity' on behalf of all workers to
On 8 March 2005 the workers of the Italian textile sector hold a strike to ask for the support of the so-called made in Italy sector which has been in crisis for three years. Introduction of a compulsory label and fight against counterfeited products are the main request behind the strike.
On 24 March 2005 the Italian government approved two legislative decrees implementing the reform of the school and training system. The two decrees have raised the age limits for compulsory education and training to 18 years of age and introduce the possibility for the students aged between 15 and
Various studies published in late 2004 indicate that there are still substantial wage differentials in Italy between women and men of the same age, with the same education and level of qualifications. The reasons cited for the continuing gender pay gap include women taking maternity and childcare
On 26 February 2005 the Italian trade unions and the German-based steel making group ThyssenKrupp signed an agreement which puts an end to the long dispute about the closure of some company’s operations. The most important parts of the deal concern the closure of electrical sheet-steel by 2005, the
In February 2005, the University of Siena and the Italian confederate and autonomous trade union organisations representing school workers signed an agreement to regulate 'project contract' employment. The agreement signed, the first of the kind, provides maternity, sickness and occupational
In February 2005 the sectoral trade union and employers’ associations signed an agreement for 320,000 workers of the banking industry. The main innovations in the deal concern pay increases, the application of the Biagi law and a contribution to the supplementary pension fund.
In December 2004 , trade unions and management at the Italian tile group Marazzi Ceramiche, which has around 1,000 employees, signed a new company agreement. The main innovations include measures to improve training and skills, increased allowances, measures to help working mothers and changes to
In December 2004, management and trade unions at Vodafone Omnitel in Italt signed two agreements with a focus on improving work-life balance for the company's 10,000 employees. Their provisions include measures to help working mothers, a new organisation of working time, increased pay premia for