In January 2003, the Italian Constitutional Court declared valid a proposal for a referendum put forward by two political parties and the Fiom-Cgil metalworkers' trade union. The referendum seeks to extend the right to reinstatement for unfairly dismissed workers provided by Article 18 of the
In December 2002, the Italian government presented proposals on corporate social responsibility (CSR), with the aim of making an active contribution to the current European Union debate on the subject. The government's objective is to produce, during its Presidency of the Union in the second half of
In November 2002, Eni, the Italian-based energy company, became the latest multinational to conclude a global agreement on corporate social responsibility and industrial relations. The accord, signed by Italian and international trade union organisations, lays down a number of principles relating to
In December 2002, IntesaBci, Italy's largest banking group, signed an agreement with trade unions, providing for the use of the banking sector's 'solidarity fund' to encourage 5,700 employees to depart voluntarily, mainly through early retirement. The workforce reductions result from a major three
In December 2002, the Italian Council for Economic Affairs and Labour (Cnel) presented its annual report on collective bargaining, wages and labour costs in Italy, covering 2000-1. The report, drafted by the Cesos research institute on behalf of Cnel, highlights the necessity of reforming the
Italy's centre right-right government has proposed a constitution reform, which will devolve further powers to the regions. The proposal, which came a step nearer to adoption when it was approved by the Senate in December 2002, would give regions exclusive legislative powers in areas such as
On 18 October 2002, Cgil, one of Italy's three main trade union confederations, organised a one-day general strike against the government's economic policy and other recent developments. Estimates on the proportion of workers taking part in the strike varied from 30% to 58%..
On 15 November 2002, Italian metalworkers' trade unions organised a one-day general strike across the sector. The action focused on supporting negotiations over the restructuring plan and large-scale job losses announced at the Fiat auto group and at putting pressure on the government to draw up a
In late 2002, the Italian banking sector is facing further restructuring and job losses. Economic forecasters estimate that there will be 6,000-7,000 redundancies over 2003-4, while trade unions are concerned that 15,000-20,000 jobs could go.
In October 2002, a new company agreement was signed by trade unions and management at the Italian confectionery group, Ferrero. The agreement contains a number of innovations, notably the experimental introduction of job-sharing, variable pay and the future establishment of new joint bodies.