On 16 April 2025, various union and management organizations in Genoa, including Confcommercio Genova, Fisascat-Cisl della Provincia di Genova and Uiltucs-Liguria, signed an agreement on fixed-term employment. The agreement is primarily based on the provisions of the Dignity Decree, which reintroduced the requirement for reasons for fixed-term contracts but kept exemptions for seasonal activities.
The collective agreement for employees of the tertiary, distribution and services sector has introduced an article on “Fixed-term contract in Tourist locations”. It is up to local negotiations to specify these locations, thus applying the mentioned exemptions.
These Genoan organizations observed that the local economy, not just limited to the Riviera, has a pronounced seasonality that significantly impacts employment levels. Companies applying the Tertiary, Distribution and Services National Collective Bargaining Agreement (CCNL) with headquarters or local unit in the province of Genoa often face work peaks at certain times of the year, due to reasons inclusive of but not limited to tourism, events, and holidays.
The agreement defines the City of Genoa and all the Municipalities of the Province of Genoa, as identified by the Liguria Region through specific decrees, as locations with a prevalent tourist vocation. For fixed-term contracts signed by employers fully applying the CCNL in these areas, several significant legal provisions will not apply, like maximum duration, quantitative restrictions on instigating fixed-term relationships, observing time intervals in case of succession of term contracts, renewal or extension of the contract.
To benefit from these exemptions, employers must state in the contract that they are applying the provisions of this regional agreement and must notify the Tertiary Bilateral Body of Genoa using a special form which provides details on personnel, contract specifics, and the reasons for the hires. This notification is an essential requirement for the validity of the application of the special provisions.
Lastly, the agreement specifies the product sectors and periods allowed for the application of the exemptions. From 16 April 2025 to 31 October 2025, and during the period of the winter sales defined by the Liguria Region, companies from specific sectors will be able to benefit from the provisions of the territorial agreement. The specified sectors include food, flora, industrial products, and business and personal services.
