The bank restructuring plan is moving forward. Not just mergers and redemptions, but also layoffs and closures of excess branches. The Prime Minister was clear: despite the efforts made over the years there are still too many bankers,
From 2000 to 2015, to remedy the situation, 48 early retirements were activated and another 2020 employees are expected to leave the scene by 23. Overall, when the plan is completed, there will be 70 fewer bankers.
In the meantime, the decrease in branches started in 2008 is also continuing. Compared to the peak of 57,1 branches per 100 inhabitants reached six years ago (the European average is 41,9) in 2014 we dropped to 51 per 100 inhabitants. The reduction was made possible thanks to the parallel development of home banking and, more recently, the explosion of mobile banking.
According to the latest report published by the Bank of Italy, employment in the banking sector fell by 2,3%, while branches, according to ECB data, decreased in 2014 to 30.723 units, a thousand fewer than in 2013, three thousand less than in 2010. Employees fell below 300 thousand units as part of a network restructuring phase which, as a Cetif study underlines, sees a percentage of branch closures of 3,58% against a rate average opening which stops at 0,48%.
In this context, it is also necessary to highlight the agreement reached today between the unions and Unicredit, on the basis of which a series of exit options profiled on the basis of seniority will be put in place, "which can be adhered to - according to what is stated in the press release Uilca – the personnel concerned on an exclusively voluntary basis including the activation of the Solidarity Fund for 36 months and the possibility of demotion for those belonging to the lower salary brackets”. Collective redundancies have thus been avoided for the 470 redundant executives who will be able to opt for voluntary and incentivized exits.
In total, the redundancies are distributed equally among the main institutions: from 5740 exits in Unicredit, 4.500 professional reconversions in Intesa Sanpaolo, 8.000 total exits in Mps expected by 2018.
As expected, the plan does not currently seem to have the support of the unions. In a joint statement signed by Fabi, First Cisl, Fisac Cgil, Sinfub, Ugl Credito, Uilca and Unisin, the associations highlight the many steps taken for «, and are surprised by the fact that Renzi «is pleased to announce that 300.000 jobs they will have to decrease and in any case be of worse quality than in the past".
