Four demonstrations in Rome, Milan, Ravenna and Palermo e strike for the whole day: the protest of the bankers after the breakdown of negotiations with Abi and the cancellation of the contract, takes place the day after tomorrow, Friday 30 January. The trade unions will reiterate their 'no' alle Abi's proposals on the renewal of the contract. And, therefore, there could be various inconveniences for the customers of Italian banks: those who have deadlines in progress will do well to anticipate the times. The bankers will cross their arms and the unions expect massive participation, similar to that of October 2013 when over 85% joined the strike.
It should be remembered that the credit association canceled the old contract at the end of 2014; the non-application, however, will begin from next April 1, with a view to a hypothetical agreement with the unions within the next two months.
Precisely the prospect of disapplication alarms i sindacati of the banking who wrote a joint letter (Fabi, Fiba Cisl, Fisac Cgil, Uilca, Dircredito, Ugl Credito, Sinfub and Unisin) addressed to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, to the president of Abi Antonio Patuelli and to the president of Federcasse Alessandro Azzi in which they define "short-sighted the choice of Abi and Federcasse to intentionally renounce the unity of the system, abjuring a twenty-year history of virtuous concertation”. In the long letter, the unions argue that "leaving all bankers without a contract, at the mercy of the various forces that may motivate their work in the absence of rules and safeguards, not only constitutes an affront and a setback against history and the interests of the category, but, more seriously, it exposes the country to the risk of an impoverishment of the banks' ability to offer citizens operations consistent with the constitutional principles, erected, among others, as the foundation of the country's life".
With these assumptions, on the eve of the strike of the bankers of January 30th, the hypothesis of an agreement between Abi and trade union organizations on the renewal of the contract still seems remote, so much so that the general secretary of the Fabi Lando Mario Sileoni relaunched: "If the banks do not change their attitude, we will go on to the bitter end asking for the intervention of the Government and of the president Renzi”.
According to the estimates of the trade unions, at least 15 bankers will be in the square on Friday. In Milan, at the end of the procession which will leave in front of the ABI headquarters to reach Piazza Scala, rallies will be held by the general secretary of the Fabi, Lando Sileoni, and by the leader of the CGIL Susanna Camusso; in Rome the bankers will hold a 'sit in' in Piazza dell'Esquilino with the secretary general of the UIL Carmelo Barbagallo and the secretary general of FIBA, Giulio Romani. The other two marches will be in Ravenna, with the general secretary of Fisac Agostino Megale, and in Palermo, led by the general secretary of Uilca Massimo Masi.
Up to now the gaps between the unions and ABI are very wide. The discussion about renewal of the bank contract between the trade union organizations and the association chaired by Patuelli is on a dead end and mainly concerns five points: mechanism for revaluation of the severance pay, seniority increases, second-level bargaining, classifications and salary adjustments based on inflation.
For his part Abi explained more times than the new contract of bankers will have to allow to reconcile the needs of recovery of profitability and productivity with employment needs and wage protection from inflation. The innovations of recent years brought by home banking and the collapse in interest rates have caused a serious loss of profitability of banking institutions which are now reflecting on the future prospects of the sector at the very basis of the structural changes still in progress.
