Platforms for 4 million workers
Matthew Meneghello July 25, 2012
MILAN
There are more than 4 million – including the 1.6 million metalworkers who ask for an extra 150 euros for renewal when fully operational – Italian workers who are preparing to renew the national employment contract. Many categories have already presented claim platforms in recent months. Just yesterday "the process of elaborating the guidelines of the platform for the stipulation of the air transport contract" was "completed - reports the union". Filt Cgil, Fit Cisl, Uiltrasporti and Ugltrasporti sent the document to all the main employers' associations in the sector, asking for "the establishment of a national table so that discussions can begin in order to conclude the contract". Rail transport has already signed the contract, obtaining an average increase of 160 euros, and a one-off recovery of 1,670 euros. The agreement also provides for an increase in weekly hours worked, from 36 to 38 hours. The agreement concerns 90,000 employees of the FS and constitutes the first leg of the mobility contract launched by the recent reform of the contractual structure: the start of the debate for the renewal of the contract for LPT employees is now awaited.
In recent weeks, Filctem, Femca and Uilca presented five distinct platforms for the renewal of agreements in the chemical-pharmaceutical (190,000 employees), rubber-plastic (120,000), gas-water (50,000), energy and oil (about 35,000) and electrical workers (60,000 people involved) sectors. The required increase gap for the three-year period 2013-2015 is substantially between 7 and 9 per cent. Other claims concern the strengthening of supplementary social security and health funds
The trade union representatives of the food sector have also presented the claim platforms in recent days. It starts with a request for 174 euros gross for an increase in the minimum bills, a position that was judged by Federalimentare as "excessively burdensome". On the other hand, the platform for construction workers is about to be presented, involving 2 million people for the two-year period 2013-2015. It is a negotiation that certainly does not promise to be easy for a sector particularly affected by the crisis, with almost 350,000 jobs lost in recent years and a quarter of companies disappearing.
The main contracts under discussion
1 RAIL TRANSPORT
In recent days, the 90,000 employees of Ferrovie dello Stato have reached an agreement for the renewal of the contract with a gross increase of 160 euros when fully operational
2 PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY
The Chemical Workers Platform was unveiled in recent days. c
