On 17th September 2025, several Italian syndicates representing medical and veterinary professionals raised an urgent appeal to the Ministry and the Regions, seeking resolution to the ongoing deadlock in negotiations concerning the renewal of the national collective labour contract for the period 2022-2024, which has been on halt for two years. The protesting bodies believe that the funds allocated by the government for contract renewal are insufficient to counterbalance the inflation experienced by the workforce in this three-year period.
Indeed, in contrast with the 17% inflation during this time, funding provided for contractual raises is only 5.78%, resulting in a meaningful gap when compared with hikes anticipated in other contracts. Another obstacle to negotiations is the perceived unfairness in the funding of the specificity allowance, which has only been granted to medical and veterinary directors while excluding sanitary directors.
The syndicates are requesting the government and the Regions to intervene by allocating additional non-contractual resources in the 2026 Budget Law. Such additional resources are required to shrink the inflationary gap via pay rises and resolve the current income disparity amongst directors. They believe that the existing stalemate is no longer acceptable and are hoping for the government to issue a policy directive that will incorporate economic and regulatory improvements for all sector workers.
