Fashion, with contract companies invest an extra billion a year in labour

"This contract costs companies an additional EUR 1 billion per year in labour costs. We are talking about something very important'. The president of Confindustria Moda, Sergio Tamborini, yesterday, at the signing of the articles of the national collective bargaining agreement for the textile-clothing sector, wished to emphasise the weight of the agreement reached with the trade unions last November, in a phase of great transformation and transition for the sector that calls for greater attention from the political decision-maker. "Relations between the parties must take a different direction, more proactive towards the political decision-maker, who has always paid little attention to this sector characterised by a complex supply chain," says Tamborini. Hence the decision to make public a moment such as the signing of the text of the contract with which Confindustria Moda and the trade unions Filctem, Femca and Uiltec gave concrete form to the common desire to defend and relaunch the sector that generates a turnover of 60 billion euros. It includes 40 thousand companies and employs over 400 thousand workers

The text of the contract is valid for the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027 and represents what was defined in the renewal agreement signed on 11 November last. It is a contract that marks a lot of progress on the economic protection front, but also on the rights and duties of workers, putting everyone on an equal footing, from workers to executives. And it leads to the birth of the Fashion Bilateral Body which, in this renewal round, was the strongest expression of the maturity of industrial relations in the sector. Among the salient points of the agreement, which is already fully operational, it is worth mentioning the increase in average monthly gross minimum wages of EUR 200 when fully implemented, which covers the recovery of inflation for the years 2022 and 2023, and the protection of the purchasing power of wages until 31 March 2027. On the grading front, on the other hand, the parties agreed on the normative parity between the different professional qualifications. And so from the beginning of 2025 blue collar workers, intermediate qualifications, white collar workers and middle management will be subject to the same rights and duties. In this phase of great transformation and innovation for the sector, the contract also provides for a new investment in workers' skills, with the commitment of companies to extend continuous training programmes to all workers. In the same way, in order to increase attractiveness, much space has been given to improving the institutions that regulate the reconciliation of workers' time and work organisation with their private life commitments. On the welfare front, there has been an increase in investment by companies, through the improvement of the health care plan offered by Sanimoda, the increase in the social security protection of the sector fund Previmoda, and new resources of 200 euro per year for each worker that can be spent on welfare goods and services.

One of the most important innovations of the agreement signed by Confindustria Moda and Filctem, Femca and Uiltec last November was the creation of a bilateral fashion body (Ebm), which was set up just yesterday, implementing what was defined in the contract renewal. This further strengthened industrial relations in the sector and services for companies and workers. The EBM will be managed on an equal footing between the parties and will be an operational tool, with its own organisation and resources. Among other things, the Ebm will support the formulation and implementation of development strategies and initiatives for the sector, but also the implementation of new training and assistance projects for companies and workers.

The contract and the bilateral body are two central elements of the support that comes to the sector from the common front between business and workers' representation. Yesterday's meeting, as President Tamborini explained, expressed 'the will to strengthen industrial relations in the sector to support, together with the unions and with more strength, companies and workers. This is why, in addition to the new labour contract, we are formalising the birth of the Ente Bilaterale Moda (Bilateral Fashion Body), an essential operational tool for implementing intervention strategies in the sector, and we are announcing with the trade unions the development of a joint structural plan to support the textile and fashion industry and its operators, which we will present to the government at the next ministerial tables'. To give continuity to relations between the parties, the meeting was also attended by the new president-designate of Confindustria Moda Luca Sburlati, whose appointment will be made official at the association's next assembly on 19 May.

The three general secretaries, Marco Falcinelli for Filctem CGIL, Nora Garofalo for Femca Cisl, and Daniela Piras for Uiltec Uil, explained that 'in the increasingly complex and challenging context in which we find ourselves operating, as social partners we are doing our best to ensure sustainable and quality development for the entire sector. The signing of an innovative contract that focuses on industrial relations and gives certain answers to workers, both in economic and regulatory terms, represents a fundamental piece in the joint actions that we want to continue to implement to relaunch the sector. We are convinced that consolidated and participatory trade union relations generate value for all parties involved, and we hope that the institutions - and the government in particular - will also take an active part in this process, supporting companies and workers with serious and appropriate industrial policies'.