Union organizations Fp-Cgil Mantova, Cisl Mantova, Uil Mantova, Centrali Cooperative Mantova, and the employer associations Confcooperative Mantova, Legacoop Lombardia renewed a territorial integration contract for the social cooperation sector in the province of Mantova on December 3, 2025. The agreement, which affects about 5,500 workers, of whom 90% are women, will be effective from January 1, 2026.
The aim of the agreement is to establish clearer, uniform, and transparent rules for the sector. Fp-Cgil Mantova, one of the union organizations, expressed full satisfaction, emphasizing three main points:
1. The definitive stabilization of the “Banca Ore” or “Hour Bank”, which is extended definitively to B-type cooperatives.
2. The strengthening of the Provincial Joint Parity Committee’s control, which will have actual control tools and can request the Hour Bank balances at any time, superseding the previous semi-annual checks.
3. The protection of the right to education, with the inclusion of mandatory internships necessary for obtaining a degree within the already allocated 150 hours of study leave. In addition, the 100 hours provided by Article 70 can also be used for internships linked to professional retraining paths.
Other significant elements of the agreement include:
– The application of smart working, for which only company devices should be used, and a monitoring system regarding subscriptions, schedules, the right to disconnect, and safety, is established.
– A binding vademecum relating to the election of RLS, or workers’ safety representatives, is introduced to enhance workplace safety.
– The agreement also updates rules on mandatory requests and quotas during strikes, dressing times, and confirms the Territorial Result Award. It also clarifies procedures in case of contract changes.
Despite the satisfaction expressed, the unions underline that the wage issue remains unresolved and that current wages do not reflect the complexity of the social work activities carried out. They propose that to support the sector, more public investments are necessary.
