The signature has been reached. Yesterday evening the Italian Banking Association and the trade unions reached an agreement and signed the new national contract for the banking category. The new amendments, which will be valid for three years, until June 2014, have been designed to deal in the best possible way with the period of economic slowdown that will affect our country in the coming years. “Work is the most important issue right now“, declared Francesco Micheli, at the head of the ABI delegation, and for this reason “we have found original and innovative solutions that can effectively support employment”.
The social partners have managed to wrest some final touches from the ABI, but i highlights of the agreement those already known yesterday remain:
Apprenticeship – The apprenticeship contract will be valued and strengthened as a reference for new employees to enter the sector.
insourcing – An attempt will be made to transfer assets, which until now were offered by external companies, within the banks. For the new contracts there is an increase in working hours (40 per week, instead of 37,5) and a reduction in wages of 18%.
Doors – The opening hours of the counters have been set from 8 to 20, with the possibility of extension from 7 to 22, subject to union authorization.
Inflation recovery – Salaries will undergo an increase of 170 euros when fully operational, staggered into three different tranches (50 euros more from June 2012, 50 euros from June 2013, 70 euros from June 2014).
Employment Fund – A sector fund has been set up to support the increase in jobs which will have as its primary objective the hiring of young people, for a total of 15 new hires.
Replacement of paintings – Full fungibility between the four levels of contract frameworks is ensured.
