Fashion, the employment contract to the test of welfare and generational transition

For the fashion industry, this is the time to 'courageously tackle structural knots in the areas of skills, professional profiles, contractual welfare, as well as crucial issues such as safety and generational handover'. This was stated by Smi president Sergio Tamborini at the start of negotiations for the renewal of the national collective labour agreement for the 370,000 workers of the 40,000 textile-clothing companies. Starting from this approach, points of convergence can be found on many topics of the union platform of Femca, Filctem and Uiltec, according to the president of Smi.

Among their demands, the unions, in summary, included an average increase of 270 euro, as well as improvements in welfare and various institutions. With answers especially on the minimums, given the inflationary dynamics. And quicker deadlines. In a unitary note yesterday, they explained that 'in a phase marked by high inflation, such as the one the country is experiencing, it becomes essential to reach a renewal quickly in order to ensure the recovery of the purchasing power of the wages of workers, giving certain and important answers on the contractual minimums.

For the trade unions, priority will be given in the new contract to strengthening the system of industrial relations characterised by greater involvement of trade union representatives, especially with regard to information and participation'.

The contract expired recently (on 31 March this year) and the renewal will cover the three-year period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027. The economic situation in which the renewal opens, however, is not very favourable, as Tamborini pointed out. And the negotiations cannot fail to take this into account. In 2023, the sector as a whole developed about EUR 64 billion in turnover and provides the Italian economy with a positive trade balance of over EUR 11.5 billion. After the fall of the pandemic phase, fashion experienced a season of strong recovery from 2022 onwards, which continued until the first half of 2023. Since last summer, however, a slowdown began, which continues to this day.

In the negotiation guidelines, the companies speak of a contract that becomes a bulwark against the risks of caporalisation, gives equal dignity to all workers, promotes good work-life balance practices, boosts contractual welfare, is attentive to the development of skills, updates classifications, defines a 'generational relay' path, and renews the focus on safety. With this renewal, Tamborini concludes, it will be necessary to 'improve the conditions and attractiveness of the sector'.