The Italian workers’ organizations Fim, Fiom and Uilm released a joint statement on 18 March to summarize the main points discussed during the fourth meeting held with Unionmeccanica-Confapi on 17 March. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the renewal of the contract for the Small Metalworking Industry, which expired in December.
Key topics included salary, working hours reduction, labor market issues, and more. Regarding salary, the employers put forth a proposal that, according to the union representatives, went beyond previous agreements, but they did not provide clear data and timelines. Unionmeccanica also mentioned to consider the guarantee clause but did not define any terms. The unions found these offers limiting.
The meeting also discussed reducing working hours which should be decided first at a company level and later become a nationwide policy; the same applied to labor market regulation. However, no commitment was given to specific terms on contract limitations and job stabilization processes, let alone the establishment of a participation protocol, which was a central demand by the unions.
Following the outcomes of the meeting, the workers’ organizations decided to extend the strike day, which was initially planned for 28 March, to all Unionmeccanica-Confapi companies. This decision reflected the distance that emerged during the meeting between the employers and the union representatives.
