Short Fridays and flexibility, Feralpi a forerunner in the steel industry

Flexibility and short-time Fridays are entering the steelworks, through the door of the Feralpi Siderurgica site in Lonato del Garda (Brescia), which will be the forerunner in Giuseppe Pasini's Feralpi group and more generally in the steel industry, a sector where shift work, continuous cycle, and team work impose organisational matrices characterised by a strong rigidity.

In fact, the Brescia site closed the trade union agreement for the renewal of the integrative contract for the period 2024-2027 with the Rsu of Fim and Uilm, which Il Sole 24 Ore was able to view confidentially. The agreement is characterised by an important recognition on the economic part (up to 26 thousand euros) and the start of the experimentation of organisational flexibility for the duration of the agreement that involves the 536 workers of the site, of which 331 blue and white-collar workers, 189 among white and white-collar workers and middle managers and 16 executives. It is unique in the sector and is characterised by the objective of combining an increase in bonuses and flexibility, to favour the remuneration aspect and to improve the work-life balance. Going into the substance, the text of the agreement speaks of 40 hours of paid leave to combine life and work, with leave for children's illnesses and for medical examinations of children and parents. In addition to these leaves, there are a further 24 hours of organisational flexibility and reduced-time Fridays. In the latter case, a distinction has been made between white and blue collar, but an attempt has been made to achieve a result that meets everyone's needs. Thus, on Fridays, those who do not work in technical services or on shifts will be able to leave the office 3 hours earlier 16 times a year. The hours not worked will be covered by drawing 50% from additional leave hours and the remaining 50% from 'Extra-Calendar Collective Stoppages'. For those who instead work in production, these hours can be used either for company flexibility or can be monetised at the end of the year. The negotiations, which went on for several months with a constructive dialogue with the trade unions, led to a model that intercepts both the new flexibility needs of society and the needs of the younger generation and company organisational requirements.

Giuseppe Pasini, presidente Feralpi Group.

In addition to the important organisational content, the agreement also has one concerning the economic part, where it raised the performance bonus for the period 2024-2027 up to EUR 26,000, an increase of +18%, compared to the previous agreement. A participation bonus was also introduced, which can exceed EUR 950 per employee per year. The welfare system is also confirmed with hospital and healthcare conventions, the listening desk for cases of discomfort at work, the already existing flexibility with smart working for white collar workers up to 2 days a week, and the WELFer digital platform that allows the bonus of up to EUR 3 thousand to be converted into goods and services.

Furthermore, the Feralpi Professionalism System is confirmed, which in the four-year period 2017-2020 and in the three-year period 2021-2023 allowed, through a sophisticated evaluation mechanism, 223 and 337 merit awards, respectively. This means that in the two periods an average of 57.29% of staff in the four-year period 2017-2020 and 74.58% in the three-year period 2021-2023 were affected by the salary increases resulting from the system, according to a system guided by the achievement of objectives and merit.