Signs of thaw in the very difficult trade union negotiations for the renewal of the national contract for metalworkers.
The board of directors of Federmeccanica (the association of mechanical companies adhering to Confindustria) yesterday reiterated its intention to link future wage increases to company productivity and therefore to increasingly shift the barycentre of bargaining from the center to companies, but the novelty seems be represented by the overcoming of the prejudicial rule which reduced wage increases to only 5% of workers, so far foreseen only for employees below the minimum contractual wages.
Federmeccanica, led by its president Fabio Storchi (in the photo), has made an appointment with Fiom-Cgil, Fim-Cisl and Uilm for 28 September, when negotiations will officially resume: that will be the day of truth but the first impressions gathered at home unions appear marked by cautious optimism.
Even Maurizio Landini's Fiom, who seems destined to leave the leadership of the category to enter the CGIL confederal secretariat shortly, is more optimistic than usual and seems to want to support the negotiating line that has always been supported by the leader of the Fim-Cisl, Marco Bentivogli. Also because otherwise Landini runs the risk of going down in history as the only general secretary of the CGIL metalworkers who has never managed to sign a national contract for the category.
