Paper and papermakers, contract renewed with an increase of EUR 291

Overall increase of EUR 291, of which EUR 275 on the minimum wage for paper and papermaking workers. In fact, Assocarta and Assografici have signed with Slc Cgil, Fistel Cisl, Uilcom Uil and Ugl Chimiche the renewal of the national collective labour agreement that concerns more than 80 thousand workers and had expired at the end of December 2024. In particular, in the paper industry there are 115 companies, 19,000 direct employees and a turnover of 8.2 billion, while in the paper and converting industry there are 2,960 companies, 63,600 direct employees and a turnover of over 9.6 billion. The renewal comes just over a month before the expiry date and its validity has been extended over a four-year period, until 31 December 2028.

In defining the updates of the economic and regulatory part, the agreement confirmed the framework of industrial relations and the central role of dialogue between the parties in the shared governance of the sector's transformations. As Assocarta President Lorenzo Poli says, 'the renewal of the national collective labour agreement represents an important step for our industrial chain. It is the result of a responsible and constructive dialogue with the trade unions. In the face of an important recovery of inflation, we believe we have reached a balanced and economically sustainable agreement, characterised by a significant initial instalment of 125 euro that will be paid from April 2026, and which was strongly desired by the employers' associations in order to respond concretely to the need to recover the purchasing power of workers' salaries, even in a complex phase for the entire sector'.

For Assografici President, Carlo Montedoro, 'the agreement provides an updated and stable contractual framework, capable of accompanying companies and workers in the upcoming industrial and organisational challenges, in the wake of a solid and participatory industrial relations system. "The renewal is strongly oriented towards strengthening the attractiveness of the sector towards the new generations," adds Amelio Cecchini, Assografici delegation leader, "promoting the entry of young people into the world of work through qualified paths, professional growth opportunities, and contractual tools capable of enhancing their skills and prospects. The negotiation guidelines also focused on further improving safety in the workplace, a central element for the protection of workers and the quality of employment'.

According to a calculation of the trade unions, the total increase in the minimum wage is 14.8 per cent and includes both the Ipca and a part of the inflationary deviation of 2022 and 2023. This resulted in sharing a total increase of EUR 291, of which EUR 275 was on the minimums. The remaining part was dedicated to welfare, in particular health insurance and the supplementary pension fund. The first instalment will be paid in April, after the agreement has been approved by the workers.

Among the changes introduced is the provision for workers who work continuous cycle and inconvenient shifts, of an additional 8 hours of compensatory rest, which thus increases to 40 hours from the current 32.