French and Italian employers united against the statutory 35-hour week

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In February 1998, the presidents of the main French and Italian employers' organisations signed a common declaration stating their disagreement with the laws in both countries which will reduce the working week to 35 hours.

On 3 February 1998, the presidents of the main French and Italian employers' confederations - CNPF and Confindustria respectively - met in Paris to express their disagreement with the current legislative proposals in the two countries to reduce the working week to 35 hours (FR9711176F and IT9711216F).

CNPF and Confindustria are concerned about the willingness of the Italian and French Governments to reduce the working week by law, which they believe would reduce the freedom and autonomy of both employers and trade union organisations, consequently impairing negotiations.

In a joint statement, the two employers' organisations stated that: "The law, by imposing an additional cost on enterprises, destroys all possibility of creating new jobs and of fostering enterprises' competitiveness. The law also destroys all possibility of social dialogue and negotiation between the social partners and limits the necessary variety of possible solutions which could be adopted by Italian and French enterprises to meet the demands of their clients all over the world. Such a law widens the existing gap which separates Italy and France from the other industrialised countries as far as labour costs and administrative simplification are concerned; this is happening at a time when the launch of the single currency requires a greater convergence of the European economic policies."

This joint document, which further clarifies the position of Confindustria, was presented to the Italian Government and trade union organisations by Giorgio Fossa, the Confindustria president, during a first summit on working hours organised by the Prime Minister on 9 February. Mr Fossa declared his willingness to negotiate with the Government provided that the talks did not result in solutions which involved additional costs for the enterprises. He also said that the dialogue on flexibility, employment in depressed areas and annualisation of working hours must be resumed.