12 October, 2009250,000 Italian metalworkers strike for decent jobs, employment and a national collective agreement.
ITALY: On October 9, 250,000 metalworkers demonstrated in five Italian cities calling for decent jobs, employment and a national contract.
IMF affiliate FIOM-CGIL criticised the optimistic declaration by the government and Confindustria (the Employers' Association) that the worst of the crisis is over, arguing that workers conditions are worsening and that if they want to stop the crisis they must:
- block dismissals
- stop plants' closures and relocations
- provide for all the workers - contract as well as permanent workers - a decent public subsidy for the short term (cassa integrazione)
- invest in industrial sectors in order to create employment, not for speculations
Federmeccanica, the metalworkers' employers' association, rejected FIOM's demands for a national collective contract. On the contrary, they are negotiating and want to sign an agreement with only two of the three unions that represent metalworkers in Italy.
Furthermore, Federmeccanica refused to accept FIOM's proposal for joint negotiations with the three trade union organisations on a few common points, such as issues relating to the crisis, job security and a transitional wage increase.
Federmeccanica also refused to suspend the implementation of the new "rules" that decrease collective bargaining power and change the timing for the renewal of collective agreements as contained in a separate agreement, which has not been signed by CGIL, the national centre representing six million members.
The FIOM-CGIL and the workers that took strike action in Rome, Florence, Palermo, Milano and Naples believe that the national contract has to be negotiated by Federmeccanica and the three Unions on a consensual basis and submitted to the approval of all workers.