Chemicals and pharmaceuticals: a social survey on work and technology is set to begin in collaboration with the trade unions.

To understand the changes taking place in the labour market, the best course of action is simply to ask workers and businesses how they are experiencing them. Federchimica and Farmindustria have therefore joined forces with the trade unions (Filctem, Femca and Uiltec) on a project to launch a social analysis to be carried out by the University of Milan. The aim is to make the sector more attractive to talented individuals, manage the needs of an evolving workforce and address the advent of new technologies. ‘Supporting the competitiveness of our businesses means being able to anticipate the trends and changes that affect society and, inevitably, the world of work and the workforce. To fulfil our role as social partners effectively and remain attractive without losing talent, the way forward is to listen to and discuss the expectations of both workers and businesses,” says Federchimica’s president, Francesco Buzzella. The demand for skills and the organisational structures of the world of work “are changing rapidly, just as values and expectations are changing, particularly amongst the younger generations,” argues Farmindustria’s President, Marcello Cattani. “The pharmaceutical industry thrives on innovation and research and is sensitive to these changes, because the speed of adaptation and a high-calibre workforce are its key competitive assets.” The sector’s model of industrial relations is inspired by “dialogue, participation and the ability to evolve together, making the collective agreement not merely a regulatory tool, but a strategic lever for the sector’s future”.

The survey project was conceived specifically within the context of industrial relations and is unprecedented within the sector. It will be carried out with the direct involvement of companies and workers, who will be asked to complete two specific questionnaires, developed in collaboration with the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods (DEMM) at the University of Milan. The analysis will cover the characteristics of the workforce, as well as the values and expectations of companies and workers, the impact of artificial intelligence, and issues of representation and participation, whilst also examining generational differences and various dimensions of diversity. The results of the survey will then form the basis for the sector’s General Assembly on Industrial Relations, which will take place in the spring of 2027. The event will provide an opportunity for analysis and discussion of the key challenges of the coming years: the digital transition, artificial intelligence, new organisational models, demographics and skills, against a backdrop of geopolitical scenarios that also impact the world of work. The aim of businesses and trade unions is to deepen understanding of these phenomena in order to support the central role of business and industrial relations in societal progress, thereby meeting the needs for collective growth and well-being.