On February 17, 2025, the employer associations and Feneal-Uil, Filca-Cisl, and Fillea-Cgil agreed on new scales of seniority applicable to the wood and stone industries, dated January 1, 2025. The outlined amendments to article 45 address pay increases deriving from workers’ seniority in the wood, furniture and furnishings sectors.
According to the agreement, all workers, irrespective of any merit pay increases, are entitled to a maximum of five biennial de-indexed fixed-rate seniority pay increases with each two-year period spent in service at the same company. The amounts to be used starting from January 1, 2025, for the different levels were also specified. For the AS level, the amount was given as 20.494, A level at 18.944, B level at 16.879, CS level at 16.181, C level at 15.329, D level at 14.296, and E level at 13.522.
The category F was mentioned as transitional and is not eligible for seniority increases. Employees who have achieved the maximum number of increases by December 31, 2024, will receive an exclusive €5.00 increase on their last level in the preceding system. If a worker was accruing a step-up as per the old system by December 31, 2024, on completion of the two-year period commencing January 1, 2025, they will be eligible for an increase according to the new amount.
Regarding the stone excavation and processing sector, article 45 was updated with a provision that workers, including those in service on signing the contract, are also entitled to five biennial seniority pay increases. The new amounts to apply from January 1, 2025, for levels 1 to 7 were given as 17.39, 16.36, 14.30, 13.26, 12.75, 12.23, and 11.20 respectively.
For accrued increases up to December 31, 2024, the previously existing amounts will remain applicable. For changes in category, the provisions in paragraph 5 of the present article apply. Workers at their maximum number of seniority increases as of December 31, 2024, will only receive a €5.00 increase on the last of their previously accumulated steps. Any worker accruing an increase within the old system by December 31, 2024, will be entitled to an increase according to the new amount upon completion of their two-year period commencing January 1, 2025.
