Has been the mutual bank banking contract was renewed which had expired on 31 December 2022. During the night, Federcasse and the Fabi, First, Fisac, Uilca and Ugl Credito unions reached an agreement that it affects 36.500 workers of cooperative credit. The new contract, which will be valid until 31 December 2025, provides for a salary increase of 435 euros for mid-level employees (third area, fourth level), which is equivalent to a 15% increase compared to current salaries.
Furthermore, a has been established one-time payment of 1.200 euros for the recovery of arrears, which will be paid in July. L'working hours weekly will be reduced by half an hour starting from July 2025, in line with what was agreed for ordinary credit in the agreement between Abi and the unions.
Bcc contract: salary increase in three tranches
The new national collective labor agreement provides for an overall salary increase of 435 euros for the average reference level (third area, fourth level), +15% compared to the current salary level. This increase will be disbursed in three tranches:
- September 2024: First tranche of 300 euros.
- January 2025: Second tranche of 60 euros.
- January 2026: Third tranche of 75 euros.
In July, however, workers will receive a one-time payment of 1.200 euros as recovery of arrears.
New working hours and cashless allowance
Starting from 1 July 2025, theweekly working hours will be reduced by 30 minutes, keeping the salary unchanged. This alignment is consistent with what is established in the Abi-unions agreement for ordinary credit.
For workers in branches without a traditional cash register, who carry out support activities for automated equipment, a specific iCashless risk allowance of 80 euros per month for 12 months.
The Cooperative Credit Employment Fund
For the two-year period 2025-2026, the temporary suspension of payments to the Solidarity Fund, given its current capacity of around 90 million euros. Contributions will be redistributed as follows:
- Employment Fund (FOOC): 0,28% of taxable wages.
- National mutual fund: 0,06%.
- Pre-death fund: 0,02%.
Focc resources will also be used to support the "generational relay", encouraging youth turnover and employment.
The agreement provides for a further contribution to the National Mutual Fund, with the aim of developing a comparison of perspectives and development to improve supplementary healthcare services. A new support measure has been introduced for the families of workers who died prematurely, through the pre-death fund.
Worker participation and involvement
A qualifying element of the new contract is the establishment of a study commission for the examination of participatory models. This commission will evaluate the evolution of national and European rules on the active participation of workers in company life.
Social rights
Companies will be required to promote knowledge and use of institutes family and parenting support. Workers recovered from oncological pathologies will have the right to oncological oblivion and will not be subject to investigations into their previous pathological condition.
Le days of absence for life-saving therapies, oncological diseases and serious chronic-degenerative diseases will not be counted for the purposes of determining the benefit period.
The agreement enhances the current regulations on equal opportunities and provides for the extension of the specific leave for victims of gender violence to 12 months, in accordance with article 24, paragraph 1, of Legislative Decree no. 80/2015.
Countering banking desertification
The agreement addresses the issue of banking desertification, delegating the task of identifying specific organizational measures for the territories at risk to the National Body on the impact of new technologies and digitalisation.
Unions: “A contract that looks to the future of the sector”
The national secretary of Fabi, Luca Bertinotti, declared that the negotiation satisfied “the fair demands and legitimate expectations expressed by the platform. The signing of the National Contract looks to the future of the sector, preserving its distinctive features and at the same time guaranteeing economic and regulatory protection for all workers of the Cooperative Credit”.
“The signing of this agreement contributes to bringing forward wages, rights and contractual innovations in the sector and, in general, in the world of work”, commented the general secretary of Fisac CGIL, Susy Esposito.
“The renewal agreement represents a sign of continuity in industrial relations in the system – they comment Pier Paolo Merlini, national secretary of First Cisl with delegation to the Bcc, e Gianluca Pernisco, national coordinator of the CooperFirst sector - in which the parties share new regulatory and economic solutions, confirming the current contractual system that regulates employment relationships in the Cooperative Credit system and maintaining and enhancing the specificities of the sector. The increase of 435 euros, the recognition of arrears, the reduction of weekly working hours, a renewed valorisation of the bilateral nature of the system and the theme of participation are among the essential elements on which First Cisl has made its commitment since its creation of the renewal platform".
