Politics · Italy · 14 hrs ago
Italian unions and business groups agree on wage and representation rules
Italy’s major union confederations signed the San Martino agreement with 13 business groups on wages and representation.
The deal sets shared criteria for identifying which unions and employer groups are representative enough to sign sector-wide contracts.
The criteria are intended to keep “pirate contracts” out by clarifying which agreements count and how wages and benefits are compared.
Francesca Re David of the CGIL union said the agreement can sit alongside a minimum wage, which could protect workers in sectors where unions struggle to negotiate minimums above 9 euros.
The deal provides for inflation adjustments every year or every two years, depending on the case, and says increases should not be absorbed by later contracts.
Re David said the CGIL still wants a supporting law to put the agreement’s principles into legislation.
Italian confederate unions and 13 employer associations have signed an agreement on wages and worker representation.
The agreement sets criteria for identifying representative unions and employer associations that sign sector-wide contracts, according to Francesca Re David of Cgil.
Re David said the criteria would shut out “pirate contracts” that could undercut workers’ pay and conditions.
She said Cgil still supports a minimum wage and wants legislation to support the agreement’s rules.
- Who
- Italian confederate unions and 13 employer associations signed the agreement. Francesca Re David represented Cgil in the talks.
- What
- They agreed on rules for wages and representation, including criteria for identifying representative organizations that sign sector-wide contracts.
- When
- The agreement had just been signed at the time of the article, published on November 14, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- Cgil said the rules would clarify which organizations are representative and prevent “pirate contracts” from undercutting workers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Talks between the confederate unions and 13 employer associations led to the agreement.
The confederate unions had just signed the agreement on wages and representation.
- Employer associations
- 13
- Agreement
- San Martino agreement
- Cgil representative at talks
- Francesca Re David
- Article publication date
- November 14, 2026
- Minimum wage mentioned
- More than 9 euros per hour
What people are saying
With this agreement, pirate contracts are really put out of play.
Certainly. This agreement could easily go together with the definition of a minimum wage.
A supporting law would be very important.