In June 2001, after almost 40 years of state monopoly in the production, delivery and distribution of electricity in Italy, the first phase of liberalising the electricity market and privatising the National Electricity Board (Ente Nazionale per l’Energia Elettrica, ENEL [1]) led to the signing of
After almost 13 months of negotiations, on 19 January 2006 a deal was reached on the pay-related part of the sectoral collective agreement for the Italian metalworking industry. The agreement provides for average pay increases of 6%, regulates apprenticeship contracts and extends to the whole sector
In December 2005, trade unions and employers in the Italian telecommunications sector signed a draft collective agreement for the 2005-8 period. The industry's 120,000 workers will now be asked to approve the new agreement in workplace assemblies. The deal introduces numerous changes, notably an
In August 2005, Italy's Alitalia airline unilaterally suspended recognition of the trade union rights of Sult TA., the largest union representing flight assistants. Alitalia justified its action on the grounds that Sult had refrained from participating in negotiations on renewal of the company's
In March 2005, more than 3 million Italian public employees had been waiting 15 months for renewal of their collective agreements on pay, which expired at the end of 2003. On 18 March, trade unions called a strike across the public sector in support of demands for the renewal of the agreements for
In late January 2005, Siemens Vdo Automotive (part of the German-based multinational) and trade unions signed a company-level agreement that is highly innovative in the context of Italian industrial relations, because it runs counter to the increasing tendency for firms to relocate production abroad
There are around 3 million public-sector workers in Italy. Some 10% are employed on a short-term basis, mainly on fixed-term contracts (80%) or as 'socially useful' workers (around 20%), while the other forms of temporary employment such as temporary agency work, training/work contracts, and
In late 2004, the resumption of talks on competitiveness and development between Italy's Confindustria employers' confederation and the three main trade union confederations - Cgil, Cisl and Uil - was postponed while the unions attempted to resolve their differences. By December, the unions had yet
On 5 November 2004 ,a four-hour strike was held at all Italian Fiat car plants. This was the first time in more than two years that the Fiat workforce had staged industrial action nationwide. The strike also affected Powertrain (the joint venture between Fiat Auto and General Motors) and