The national collective agreement for the tourism industry was renewed on 20 February 2010. It is valid from 1 January 2010 to 30 April 2013. The two most important aspects of the agreement concern the extension of second-level bargaining to all companies that previously had not bargained at this level, as well as greater occupational and economic guarantees for workers of subcontracting companies. The agreement establishes a monthly wage increase of €155.
The tourism industry is particularly complex, characterised by a high level of seasonal employment or fixed-term contracts and a high level of female employment. The sector, which has been heavily hit by the financial crisis, is very important in Italy from an economic perspective, due to the attractiveness of the Italian countryside, landscape and sites of archaeological interest. Tourism employs about one million people in Italy, 300,000 of whom are seasonal workers.
Signatories to agreement
An agreement on the renewal of the national collective agreement for the tourism industry was finally concluded on 20 February 2010, following seven months of bargaining. It was signed by the following trade unions:
- the Italian Federation of Workers in Commerce, Tourism and Services (Federazione Italiana Lavoratori Commercio, Turismo e Servizi, Filcams), affiliated to the General Confederation of Italian Workers (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, Cgil);
- the Italian Federation of Commercial Services and Tourism Trade Unions (Federazione Italiana Sindacati Addetti Servizi Commerciali Affini e del Turismo, Fisascat), affiliated to the Italian Confederation of Workers’ Trade Unions (Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori, Cisl);
- the Italian Union of Workers in Tourism, Commerce and Services (Unione Italiana Lavoratori Turismo Commercio e Servizi, UILTuCS), affiliated to the Union of Italian Workers (Unione Italiana del Lavoro, Uil).
The following employer organisations also signed the agreement:
- the Federation of Italian Hotels and Tourism Associations (Federazione delle Associazioni Italiane Alberghi e Turismo, Federalberghi);
- the Italian Federation of Public Concerns (Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi, Fipe);
- the Italian Federation of Associations of Tourist and Travel Enterprises (Federazione Italiana Associazioni Imprese Viaggi e Turismo, Fiavet);
- the Federation of Italian Associations of Tourist Complexes and Open-air Accommodation (Federazione delle Associazioni Italiane dei Complessi Turistico ricettivi dell’Aria Aperta, Faita);
- the Federation for Carriers and Mobility Services (Federazione Sindacale Vettori e Servizi per la Mobilità, Federreti).
The employer organisations were assisted by the General Confederation of Italian Commerce and Tourism (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Commercio, del Turismo e dei Servizi, Confcommercio).
Content of national collective agreement
The national collective agreement, which is valid from 1 January 2010 to 30 April 2013, grants an average monthly salary increase of €115.
Second-level bargaining
One important aspect of the agreement concerns decentralised bargaining at second level. In particular, following a specific request from the local or company representative organisations, it will be possible for the national organisations to intervene in order to support the establishment of second-level agreements.
Furthermore, a productivity bonus has been introduced, which will be issued in October 2012 and which will be for employees who do not benefit from second-level bargaining. This bonus will amount to an average of €210 and will be regulated by an ad-hoc trade union agreement. If this form of agreement is not reached, the employer will, in any case, have to pay an average premium of €125.
The agreement provides for a joint committee, which will monitor the second-level bargaining.
Outsourcing
The second notable aspect of the agreement pertains to the use of external labour. The agreement establishes that a company – before letting one or more services out on contract – will have to discuss the matter with the trade unions in order to verify whether alternative organisational solutions can be found. If the enterprise chooses to subcontract any services, it will have to include the following clauses in the contract:
- workers in the contracting company will be entitled to the economic conditions and norms stipulated in the national collective agreement for tourism;
- workers carrying out the subcontracted services cannot be transferred to other services.
Other provisions
The national collective agreement establishes a commitment to promote Italian language learning courses for foreign workers. These courses will be financed by the local bipartite bodies. Furthermore, these bodies will have to assist foreign workers in obtaining their residence permit documents.
The activities and organisation of the local bipartite bodies will be monitored by the national bipartite bodies, which will have to present a report to the actors regarding the first results of the analyses by 30 June 2010.
Furthermore, the national bipartite body will make 30% of its funds available to boost the income of workers from enterprises in financial difficulty or being restructured or reorganised.
Another important aspect of the agreement relates to apprenticeships, which will be possible to introduce and certify directly within the company.
Reactions of social partners
The National Secretary of Filcams Cgil, Maurizio Scarpa, has highlighted the importance of the joint agreement, even though it derives from three distinct trade union platforms. He also considers the agreement to be a ‘stimulus to re-launch the sector, concentrating on investment and not simply through reductions in labour costs’.
The General Secretary of Fisascat Cisl, Pierangelo Raineri, underlines the positive aspects regarding the reform of the bargaining system which mean that it is now possible ‘to renew the national collective agreement within not much more than 50 days following the expiry of the previous one’. He also points to the new improved role of the bipartite bodies in policies regarding income support.
President of Federalberghi, Secondo Bernabò Bocca, declared that ‘this agreement represents an act of faith from the enterprises regarding the future of the sector, despite the fact that the tourist market is going through a particularly difficult time’.
Vilma Rinolfi, Cesos