Agencies and trade unions are pressing for staff incentives: an open channel for dialogue with Leo

Revenue and Customs trade unions are pressing for discussions on the new rules governing the allocation of the staff incentive fund, as set out in the 2026 Budget Act. The meeting, which took place at the Department of Finance, is described as ‘preliminary’ in a joint statement signed by FP CGIL, CISL FP, UIL FP, Confsal/UNSA and FLP, which call for a ‘political meeting’ directly with the Deputy Minister for the Economy, Maurizio Leo. The Revenue Coordination Group of Confintesa FP has also issued its own separate statement calling for independent funding and full protection of collective bargaining rights.

The statement issued by FP CGIL, CISL FP, UIL FP, Confsal/Unsa and FLP points out that the provision included in the 2026 Budget Bill stipulates that ‘where revenue targets in excess of those set out in the agreements between the tax agencies and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) are met, additional funds for agency staff would be allocated; however, 75 per cent of these funds would be distributed unilaterally by the tax agencies without going through collective bargaining’. The trade unions contest the granting of the ‘right to unilaterally distribute funds to staff, as we have demonstrated, ever since the tax agencies were established, that the agreements on supplementary pay in both administrations contain some of the most diverse and selective criteria in the entire public sector’. For this reason, they had requested a political meeting with the Deputy Minister for the Economy, Maurizio Leo, in order to renegotiate the mechanism set out in the latest Budget Act.

An initial meeting took place at the Department of Finance on Wednesday 23 September. As reported in the trade unions’ statement, the department’s director, Giovanni Spalletta ‘informed us that the meeting was to be regarded primarily as a technical one and that there was a willingness solely to “formalise” a consultative role for the trade unions prior to the unilateral issuance by the Agencies of the decree intended to distribute the additional funds for staff’s supplementary pay’ in accordance with the new procedures.

“Despite the broadly negative outcome of the meeting, and given the commitment shown so far by both the political leadership and the technical bodies of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, we did not wish to close the door entirely on dialogue,” states the joint statement from FP CGIL, CISL FP, UIL FP, Confsal/Unsa and FLP – “and therefore, before launching any possible trade union action, we have asked to convey our positions to the Deputy Minister and to convene, at the earliest opportunity, the political meeting we have been requesting from the outset.”

‘The employers’ delegation,’ the statement continues, ‘considered our positions to be “understandable and interesting” (to quote their exact words), assured us that it would immediately bring them to the attention of Deputy Minister Leo, and stated that it regarded the dialogue as still open.’