TRADE UNIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE: COUNTRY FICHE ON ITALIAN MANUFACTURING SECTOR - ADAPT - ITALY - BargainUp
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TRADE UNIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE: COUNTRY FICHE ON ITALIAN MANUFACTURING SECTOR Agreement Ref. n. VS/2019/0280 Ilaria Armaroli, Giacomo Pigni ADAPT - ITALY January 2021
This country fiche has been realised within the framework of the BargainUp (Bargaining Upfront in the Digital Age) project (VS/2019/0280), co-financed by the European Commission. The project is led by the Italian metalworkers’ organisation FIM-CISL, in partnership with the trade unions ACV-CSC Metea, IF Metall and UGT-FICA, respectively from Belgium, Sweden and Spain, the Workers’ Education and Training College (WETCO) of the Bulgarian trade union confederation CITUB, the Italian research centre ADAPT, the Luleå University of Technology (Sweden), the Technic University of Cartagena (Spain), the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and the Office of Cooperation between the Ruhr University of Bochum and IG Metall (Germany). This country fiche has been developed thanks to a desk research, six interviews with national trade unionists, conducted between April and June 2020, and one focus groups with 10 local trade unionists and worker representatives, held on October 19, 2020 PARTNERS: FIM-CISL (Italy) - Coordinator ACV-CSC Metea (Belgium) - Partner ADAPT (Italy) - Partner Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) - Partner IF Metall (Sweden) - Partner Luleå University of Technology (Sweden) - Partner Technic University of Cartagena (Spain) - Partner Ruhr University of Bochum (Germany) - Partner UGT-FICA (Spain) - Partner Workers’ Education and Training College (WETCO) (Bulgaria) - Partner
INDEX 1. Governmental policies for the digitalisation of the economy ...............................4 Main achievements get by the plans and the gaps to be overcome ............................6 2. General indicators for the manufacturing sector ..................................................8 Main priorities and issues at stake ...........................................................................14 3. Fundamentals of industrial relations in the italian manufacturing sector .......16 Main priorities and issues at stake ...........................................................................19 4. Approaches and practices of national trade unions for digitalisation in the manufacturing sector .............................................................................................22 General approaches and practices of national trade unions ...................................23 References.......................................................................................................................28
1. GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES FOR THE DIGITALISATION OF THE ECONOMY The Industry 4.0 National Plan (2017- innovative SMEs and start-ups; 2020) was launched in September 2016 a guaranteed fund in favour of by the Italian Ministry of Economic companies or specialists with Development with the governmental financial difficulties who are support. unable to receive bank credit; • It envisaged the creation of a ▪ Skills and research, incl. the consultative-coordinating body, implementation of the national called “Cabina di regia”, composed of plan of school digitalisation; the public institutions, trade and improvement of school-to-work employers’ associations, trade unions transition coherently with the and the academic world. process of Industry 4.0; the • Three inspiring principles: strengthening of Industry 4.0 o Operating with a logic of training offered in higher technological neutrality. technical institutes; the increase o Intervening with horizontal and of industrial 4.0 PhDs; the not vertical or sectoral actions. implementation of both lifelong o Influencing enabling factors. learning via interprofessional • Four strategic plans, consisting in two funds and Technological key lines and two accompanying Clusters. Plus, this line is lines: supported by the creation of o Two key lines: Digital Innovation Hubs ▪ Innovative investments, incl. (designed for creating “local hyper-amortisation and super- bridges” between government amortisation of Industry 4.0 and public authorities, capital goods; tax credits for companies, research centers, innovation and research; universities, think tanks, start- subsidised loans for SMEs ups and industrial players) and investments in new machinery national Competence Centers (so-called “New Sabatini”); tax (taking the form of public- deductions and tax free of private partnerships made up of capital gains on medium to at least one research body and long-term investments (so- one or more enterprises with the called “Patent Box”) and other task of supporting companies in financial incentives for the implementation of new
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 5 technologies and launch of The main points of the National Plan innovation projects). have been promptly merged into Budget o Two accompanying lines: Laws for 2017, 2018 and 2019. ▪ Enabling infrastructures, Moreover, super-amortisation, “Nuova incl. the implementation of Sabatini” and the SME Guarantee Fund “ultra-broadband connection”; have been confirmed though with slight contribution to the definition of remodulations and changes in the so- standards and criteria for IoT called Decreto crescita [Growth interoperability. Decree] (Law Decree No. 34/2019). ▪ Public support tools, incl. Plus, the Budget Law for 2019 has reform and refinancing of the introduced for both 2019 and 2020 a SME Guarantee Fund; new voucher for SMEs acquiring consultancy “development contracts” aimed services aimed at supporting their at financing companies’ technological and digital transition, an development plans; strong EUR 3 million-financing of innovative investments in digital sales educational projects in industrial chains (so-called “Made in Italy engineering and management and a Fund Plan”); tax incentives for (equipped with EUR 15 million) for performance-related bonuses subsidising research and innovation established in company-level or projects to be realised in Italy by private territorial collective agreements and public players and directed to and offered to workers, with the Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and possibility of converting the Internet of Things. amount in welfare measures. The Transition 4.0 Plan (2020-2022) In September 2017, after one year from was launched in December 2019 by the its launch, the Industry 4.0 plan changed Italian Ministry of Economic its name into Enterprise 4.0 National Development, with the aim of updating Plan with the objective to expand the the 4.0 industrial policy and making it target even beyond manufacturing by more inclusive and sustainable. The Plan encompassing other economic sectors allocates EUR 7 billion on the following incl. services. measures: • One of the novelties of the plan • Transformation of super-amortisation consists of a tax credit for workers’ into tax credits for Industry 4.0 capital training activities to gain or improve goods. knowledge on Industry 4.0-related • New tax credit for research and technologies. The tax credit is granted development, innovation and design to companies only in relation to those with an enhanced focus on expenses training activities established via for personnel rather than for new company-level or territorial collective machinery. agreements. • Update of the tax credit for workers’ training activities by simplifying access procedures (i.e. Budget Law
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 6 for 2020 has eliminated the Italy and were directed to Cyber requirement of the signature of a Security, Horizontal Integration of data company-level or territorial collective and information across all productive agreement) and including higher processes, and Industrial Internet of technical institutes among the Things. Most enterprises (62.4%) possible training providers. invested in only one or two Industry 4.0 technological solutions: however, the In 2020, a public consultation was number of 4.0 devices deployed by large launched concerning 2025 A Strategy enterprises was generally higher. 4.0 for technological innovation and enterprises were therefore larger than digitalisation of the country, tackling traditional ones, characterised by young three key challenges: digitalisation, and qualified managers and more innovation and sustainable and ethical inclined to hire new workers, invest in development of society. A consultative- employee skills’ development, and coordinating body is established export in international markets. Greater involving different Ministries and propensity to innovation was detected coordination is promoted via dialogue among enterprises producing electrical processes with local municipalities, machines and equipment, means of regions, private stakeholders, etc. Task transport and chemical and rubber forces will be launched to carry out products. Industry 4.0 was less sectoral specific actions within the widespread in the mechanical, wood, strategy. agri-food and apparel industries. Overall Industry 4.0 products-related market kept growing during 2018, thanks to Main achievements get by the Italian companies’ investments led by plans and the gaps to be Enterprise 4.0 National Plan. Most widespread technologies were Industrial overcome Internet of Things, Industrial Analytics The penetration of digital technologies and Cloud Manufacturing (Ministry of in companies. At the beginning of 2018, Economic Development, 2018). only 8.4% of industrial enterprises used at least one Industry 4.0-related Consultancy and training in technology. However, 4.7% of 23,700 digitalisation projects. Consultancy interviewed companies declared to and training activities linked to invest in digital devices in the following digitalisation projects constituted, at the three years (this proportion increases beginning of 2019, the smallest Industry among enterprises that have already 4.0-related market share. Moreover, initiated a digital transformation path). workers and HR leaders were involved in 56.9% of 4.0 enterprises stated to have the planning and development of digital benefitted from at least one support solutions respectively in only 7.8% and measure, made available by the 6.8% of the 192 enterprises considered in government. Main investments were the survey carried out by the “Industry concentrated in Northern and Central 4.0 Observatory” of the Polytechnic of
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 7 Milan and published in 2019. Most of the skills, compared to an average considered enterprises had already proportion of 58% in other EU countries initiated a process to map their digital and the share of Italian adult people skills gap and design necessary training involved in lifelong learning activities is activities. However, mainly 4.0 smaller by over 3 percentage point than enterprises tend to be aware of their gaps the EU average: similar bad in digital skills; traditional enterprises performances have been detected with (i.e. those not using 4.0 technologies and reference to the proportion of ICT not planning to introduce them) are less specialists in Italian companies. able to identify their difficulties However, Italian enterprises appear to be (Ministry of Economic Development, more and more aware, after the first 2018). investments in Industry 4.0, of the need for new skills and public policies focused The neglection of the “Skills and also on this side of development are research” key line. By and large, the strongly recommended (Bandini, 2020). Enterprise 4.0 National Plan appears to be focused on subsidising companies’ The need for further interventions on investments (private resources allocated the effects of digitalisation at work. to this domain have been huge especially Policy interventions more specifically until 2019). By contrast, the key line on targeted at the Industry 4.0 possible Skills and research has always been impacts on work (e.g. the blurring weaker (Prodi, Seghezzi and Tiraboschi, boundaries between subordination and 2017) and most recent Italian self-employment, the risk of governments have continued to neglect technological unemployment, skills this axis. The introduction of a tax credit needs) are strongly advocated. Although for workers’ training activities doesn’t Industry 4.0 and notably Cyber Physical seem enough for the realisation of a solid Systems are expected to challenge work, system that guarantees a successful labour markets and labour relations, match between high skills and these issues are still not adequately productive needs. Today 41% of Italian addressed (Seghezzi and Tiraboschi, population has basic or advanced digital 2018).
2. GENERAL INDICATORS FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR Characteristics of manufacturing enterprises (30.5%), followed by large companies. The manufacturing sector in (24.1%), medium (23.1%) and micro Italy is mostly made up of companies enterprises (22.3%). Metal products and that have less than 10 employees food industries are those with the highest (81.4%), followed by companies with number of enterprises (respectively 10-49 employees (15.9%), companies 17.8% and 13.6%); plus, 14.7%, 12.5% with 50-249 employees (2.4%), and and 10.9% of manufacturing workers are companies with at least 250 employees employed respectively in metal products, (0.3%) (ISTAT, 2018 data). Employees machinery and equipment production are particularly concentrated in small and food industries (ISTAT, 2018 data). Figure 1. Dimension of enterprises in the manufactoring sector 2,2% 0,3% 15,5% Number of enterprises with less than 9 workers Number of enterprises with more than 9 workers but less then 49 Number of enterprises with more than 49 workers but less then 250 82% Number of enterprises with more than 250 Source: ISTAT database (http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DICA_ASIAUE1P) Level of employment. Manufacturing is immediately followed by the retail sector the most important sector in Italy (19.8%) (ISTAT, 2018 data). The trend concerning the number of people of employment in the sector has however employed (21.6% of overall workers), been declining since 2008, with a slow
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 9 recovery that began in 2017 (Eurostat manufacturing companies reduced by database, 2020). This trend goes hand in 20,000 units from 2016 to 2018 hand with a decrease in the number of (Confindustria, 2019). enterprises in the manufacturing sector: Figure 2. Level of employment in manufacturing (based on NACE Rev 2) 4407 4168 4003 3932 3951 3944 3846 3733 3654 3662 3744 3619 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source: Annual enterprise statistics by size class for special aggregates of activities (NACE Rev. 2), Eurostat, 2020 Workers’ skills. Between 2008 and the top and bottom of skills distribution. 2017, the Italian manufacturing industry Conversely, medium-level tasks tend to experienced a growing polarisation of be performed by physical capital and skills, with a progressive increase of low technology. Despite this trend, in 2017, (incl. low qualified workers and the majority of employees in Italian salespeople) and high (incl. managers, manufacturing (63%) were medium- professionals and technicians) skilled skilled (incl. office clerks, craftsmen and workers (Confindustria, 2019). This skilled blue-collars, plant and machine phenomenon is attributed to the operators and assembly workers), deployment of digital technologies and whereas highly qualified (incl. the increasing complexity of modern managers, intellectual, scientific and global value chains, particularly technical professionals) and low-skilled requiring cognitive and manual though workers (incl. non-qualified professions non-routine skills, which concentrate at and salespeople) corresponded
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 10 respectively to 29% and 8% of the total. collars and technical professionals, and a Compared to data provided at the EU lower incidence of managers and level in the same period, Italian intellectual and scientific professionals manufacturing exhibits a higher (Confindustria, 2020). concentration of craftsmen, skilled blue- Figure 3. Proportion of blue-collars and white-collars in manufacturing sector 8% Low (Non-qualified professions and professions in commercial activities 29% with primary or lower secondary school qualifications) Medium (Office workers, craftsmen and skilled workers with post- secondary non-tertiary, upper- secondary and lower-secondary qualifications) Hight (Executives, intellectual and scientific professionals and technical professionals with Bachelor's degree, Master's degree or Ph.D. ) 63% Source: Rapporto Confindustria, Dove va l’industria italiana?, edizione 2019. The report is based on Eurostat data, 2017 Labour productivity. As for labour 2019). With specific reference to the productivity (measured as value added manufacturing industry, in the 2006- per hour worked), Italian performance 2017 period, the pharmaceutical sector was lower than that registered across EU experienced the most considerable countries between 1995 and 2018 growth (+27.4%), followed by the (+0.4% compared to +1.6% in EU28). manufacture of means of transport The productivity of capital contributed (+25.9%) and wood and paper industry by 0.4% to this trend, while the impact of (+21.8%). Worst performing sectors total factor productivity was zero. Italian were the manufacture of electrical sectors leading the growth of labour equipment (-7.3%) and electronic and productivity were ICT services (+2.1%), optical products (+0.1%). No data are financial and insurance businesses available in 2016 and 2017 as regards the (+1.2%) and agriculture (+1.5%), while manufacture of coke and refined industry (incl. manufacturing) registered petroleum products, although a 76.3% a weaker increase (+0.9%) (ISTAT, decrease in labour productivity was
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 11 already detected in this sector from 2006 to 2015 (ISTAT database). Figure 4. Rates of change in labour productivity 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 Aggregate data in the Manufacturing industry Food Industry Textile industry Chemical industry Metallurgical industry Building industry manufacturing sector -2.0 -4.0 -6.0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source: Istat data base (http://dati.istat.it/) Level of competitiveness. In 2017 (the industries. By contrast, the least most recent available data), most competitive sectors were those typically competitive manufacturing activities in characterising Made in Italy and the Italy were those related to the Italian model of specialisation, such as pharmaceutical sector and the food, textile, apparel, leather, metal production of beverages, motor vehicles, products and furniture sectors. By and oil products, machinery, chemical large, these sectors have not boasted products and other means of transport, significant competitiveness rates since also characterised by high company 2008 and have not managed to improve dimensions and high levels of their condition so far. Conversely, few productivity, propensity to sectors like metallurgy and the industry internationalisation and innovation. of electric equipment have experienced a Above the average of manufacturing recent decline in their performance competitiveness levels, we can also (ISTAT, 2020b). detect the rubber, electronic, and paper
Figure 5. Synthetic Indicator of Structural Competitiveness (ISCo)* by sector of economic activity. Manufacturing sector average: 100 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Metallurgy sector Textile sector Chemical sector Pharmaceutical sector Food sector Wood and furniture sector Automotive sector Beverages sector Rubber and plastics sector Metal products sector Electric equipment sector 2015 2016 2017 * Competitiveness is measured by ISTAT via the ISCo indicator, considering profitability, foreign market competitiveness, cost competitiveness and innovation Source: Rapporto sulla competitività dei settori produttivi, ISTAT, 2020 Digitalisation. Between 2016 and 2018, companies investing in digital 42.9% of manufacturing enterprises technologies (ISTAT 2020a). With initiated a development path towards reference to governmental measures for either technological modernisation, Industry 4.0, in 2017 hyper-amortisation diversification of the core business, was mostly used by manufacturing transition to new activities or innovative enterprises: 4,400 of them benefitted transformation. Among the areas which from it. Interestingly, while a significant companies invested in, we can list: proportion of metalworking companies research and development, digitalisation, invested in Industry 4.0 capital goods, human capital, internationalisation and the average value of such investment was social and environmental sustainability. higher in companies producing oil, In regard to digitalisation in chemical and paper goods. This reflects manufacturing, the pharmaceutical and the different degree of deployment of chemical industries have the highest machinery and software and hence proportions of innovative enterprises, digital technologies in the various respectively with 94.1% and 86.6% of
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 13 manufacturing industries (Confindustria, 2019). Figure 6. Manufacturing enterprises by level of digitisation 1% 15% Very low 44% Low Hight Very hight 40% Source: Indagine ICT Istat, 2019
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 14 Figure 6. Employment rate of low-skilled* workers (age group 20-64) 56.9 56.7 56.3 56.4 56.1 55.5 54.9 54.2 53.3 53.6 52.5 52.8 52.6 52.2 52.1 52.1 51.8 52.1 51.7 51.3 51.7 50.7 51 49.9 50.1 50 50.3 49.4 48.8 48.7 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 EU (28 countries) Italy * The employment rate of low skilled persons is calculated by dividing the number of persons in employment with at lower secondary education Source: Eurostat, 2019 Main priorities and issues at (Nedelkoska, Quintini, 2018). In this stake context, it would be essential to invest in training for adults, but only 60.2% of The need for workers’ training. Italy is companies (with at least 10 employees) very backward in terms of digital provide training for their workers (less technology integration within firms: than the OECD European average of only 9% of B2C (business-to-consumer) 76%). It could therefore be essential to firms sell online while, more generally, strengthen the role of joint the level of digitalisation in interprofessional training funds manufacturing is low (DESI, 2020). As (established and managed by social regards the level of e-skills in human partners in Italy and aimed at financing capital (both "internet user skills" and vocational training), that are regarded as "advanced skills and development") Italy valuable tools to reach a large number of is ranked last in Europe together with workers even in SMEs and to provide Bulgaria and Romania, with 30% of training adapted to the needs of the human capital with basic skills and 10% market (OECD, 2020). with advanced skills (DESI, 2020). In addition, because of the introduction of Strengthening workers’ participation. new technologies, 15.2% of jobs are at Worker participation at company level high risk of automation and a further appears to be e necessary to face the key 35.5% may undergo significant changes challenges of our time in a sustainable in the way they are performed and inclusive way (Hoffmann et al.,
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 15 2020). Moreover, the post-Fordist economic system has laid the Collective bargaining over data foundations for a more participatory protection and data usage. Datafication model: there has been a shift from the and big data are not only the core of the ‘hard’ task and performance two most discussed new business and management typical of the Taylorist technology models (i.e. platform model to a greater search for workers’ economy and Industry 4.0) but have ideas which is functional to the mantra of already permeated also traditional continuous improvement. These organisations, entering all their processes are pushing towards a more departments (marketing, production, horisontal and less vertical work sales, finance) (Degryse, 2016; Bodie et organisational model (Accornero, 2001). al., 2017). Despite this trend, in Italy, the However, as far as Italy is concerned, role of workers’ representatives is still practices of direct employee limited to ensuring the protection of participation have developed later than workers’ data against potentially in other countries and they are largely excessive surveillance and monitoring weak, as characterised by little by management. By contrast, labour communication about the organisation of representation does not actively work between employees and participate in decision-making processes management (Eurofound, 2015). Plus, concerning data collection, analysis and they are generally managed solely by usage at workplaces (Dagnino, employers and not integrated in the Armaroli, 2019). industrial relations framework, with very few exceptions (Armaroli, 2020).
3. FUNDAMENTALS OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN THE ITALIAN MANUFACTURING SECTOR Industrial relations in Italy are Trade union federations (representing characterised by a low degree of legal both blue-collars and white-collars) of institutionalisation (in the sense that CGIL, CISL and UIL covering legislation and the state play a limited manufacturing are: FIOM-CGIL, FIM- role in the regulation of collective CISL and UILM-UIL (gathering bargaining) and a high degree of metalworkers); FILCTEM-CGIL, voluntarism (in the sense that trade FEMCA-CISL and UILTEC-UIL unions and employers’ associations are (gathering workers in various sectors voluntary organisations regulated by incl. chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, private law, and that industrial relations eyewear, rubber, glass, leather, ceramic are largely dependent on power, rather sectors and industrial laundries); FLAI- than determined by external recognition CGIL, FAI-CISL and UILA-UIL of their role) (among others, Cella, 1989; (gathering workers in the food sector as Cella, Treu (eds.), 1998; Cella, Treu well as agriculture); FILLEA-CGIL, (eds.), 2009; Colombo, Regalia, 2016), FILCA-CISL and FENEAL-UIL at least in the private sector. These (gathering workers in wood, cement and conditions have made larger brick industry as well as constructions); organisations subject to the pressures and SLC-CGIL, FISTEL-CISL and and opposition from their constituents, UILCOM-UIL (gathering workers in which tend to compromise the paper industry as well as in development of cooperative industrial entertainment and telecommunication relations and pave the way to the growth sectors). of independent autonomous unions Further associations operating in (Colombo, Regalia, 2016). manufacturing are mostly - though not exclusively - affiliated either to UGL Union pluralism is indeed an important (Unione Generale del Lavoro), element of industrial relations in Italy. CONFSAL (Confederazione Generale There are three main trade union Sindacati Autonomi Lavoratori) or confederations: CGIL (Confederazione CISAL (Confederazione Italiana Generale Italiana del Lavoro), CISL Sindacati Autonomi Lavoratori). (Confederazione Italiana Sindacati In addition to these associations, there is Lavoratori) and UIL (Unione Italiana del FEDERMANAGER-CIDA representing Lavoro). managers in the industrial sectors and
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 17 signing NCLAs with main employers’ associations. Figure 6. Trade union density in Italy Trade union density 49.6 38.7 37 34.4 35.5 34.4 24.7 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2018 Source: OECD Stat (https://data.oecd.org/), 2020 According to OECD database, trade employers’ associations representing union density in Italy was in 2018 at large companies (generally adhering to 34.4% after experiencing a decline from CONFINDUSTRIA), employers’ the 1980s and a stabilisation since 2000. associations representing small and In 2012-2013 trade union density in medium companies (generally affiliated manufacturing was 31.4% (CNEL- to CONFAPI or CONFIMI), employers’ ISTAT, 2015). associations representing craft Not considering the NCLAs signed by companies (affiliated e.g. to CNA or the least representative trade union CONFARTIGIANATO) or employers’ organisations, there are approximately associations representing cooperatives 45 NCLAs reached by CGIL, CISL and (affiliated e.g. to LEGACOOP or UIL or FEDERMANAGER and CONFCOOPERATIVE). In the covering Italian manufacturing sector metalworking sector, we have a further (CNEL, 2019). This significant number first-level collective agreement signed is explained by the fact that many by the automotive group FCA-CNH commodity-related sectors have specific Industrial with national trade union NCLAs; plus, even single commodity- organisations (with the exception of related sectors can be covered by various FIOM-CGIL), following the decision of NCLAs as they can be signed by either the former management of FIAT to leave
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 18 CONFINDUSTRIA representation the private sector are covered by system and disapply its NCLA in 2011. company or territorial collective agreements. In smaller companies, most Italy has a multi-level collective employees are not covered by any labour bargaining structure, as specified in representation body and subsequently, cross-sectoral agreements from the by any company-level collective 1990s (Tomassetti, Forsyth, 2020). The agreement. However, due to the quite first level is the national (either sectoral high number of companies in the metal or cross-sectoral) and the second level is sector with more than 250 employees, either territorial (regional or provincial) second-level bargaining has a higher or firm-level (sometimes further incidence there than in the rest of the articulated into group-level, company- economy (Leonardi, Ambra, Ciarini, level, workplace-level, department- 2017). level, etc.). Criteria of coordination are: • Delegation: the second contractual Main workplace labour representation level (territorial or company) can bodies are: regualate matters that are • Unitary labour representation specifically devolved by the body (Rappresentanza sindacale national collective agreement. unitaria, RSU), firstly envisaged in • Ne bis in idem: the second level can a 1993 agreement signed by regulate matters not covered by the CONFINDUSTRIA and the three national collective agreement. This main trade union confederations. Its criterion though is apparently role and composition have been disappearing from cross-sectoral confirmed, though with some agreements. changes, in the following cross- • Derogation: the second level can sectoral collective agreements modify (also in peius) the signed until today. As a result, the regulations contained in national RSU can be established in collective agreements, though workplaces with more than 15 within the limits and in line with the employees and its members are procedures established at the elected by workers among lists national level. presented by the trade unions that have signed or adhered to the above- Collective bargaining coverage has mentioned cross-sectoral been steady over the last 30 years, agreements. It is endowed with particularly thanks to voluntary bargaining rights at the workplace extension mechanisms in individual level. employment contract and case law, in a • Workers’ representatives for context characterised by the lack of a safety (Rappresentanti dei legal extension mechanism. In 1985 it lavoratori per la sicurezza, RLS): as was 85% and in 2016 it was 80%. As set forth in Legislative Decree No. regards second-level collective 81/2008, they operate in each bargaining, only 35% of employees in workplace (one RLS in workplaces
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 19 with up to 200 employees; three company-level collective RLS in workplaces with 201 to 1000 bargaining and worker participation employees and six RLS in larger systems. Another example is the workplaces). The RLSs have the Company joint observatory, legal right to access workplaces, envisaged by the NCLA for the receive all documentation chemical and pharmaceutical sector, concerning risk assessment and as a place for information and prevention measures, and call in the discussion between workers’ authorities if prevention/protection representatives and management on measures are not adequate. issues like organisational and Interestingly, in some sectors (e.g. technological changes and their energy and chemical- impact on work (ADAPT, 2020). pharmaceutical), NCLAs have • Direct employee participation extended the competences of RLSs practices (i.e. teamwork, also to environmental issues, thus continuous improvement groups, giving rise to the figure of RLSA suggestion schemes, etc.), generally (the workers’ representative for promoted and implemented by safety and the environment), or management. However, from 2016 RLSSA (the workers’ representative the Budget Laws have established for health, safety and the fiscal incentives (and then also environment). contributory cuts) for those companies introducing, via Participation rights. Though enshrined collective bargaining, both variable in Article 46 of the Constitution, the right pay schemes for employees related of workers to collaborate in the to productivity goals and employee management of companies has never participation practices. The materialised. Participation practices can introduction of these measures has thus be introduced either unilaterally by engendered a moderate increase in management or by collective bargaining company-level collective and generally take the form of: agreements on the topic, especially • Joint labour-management in the manufacturing sector committees, that are generally (ADAPT, 2018). established via collective bargaining • Employee shareholding, allowed and aimed at promoting non- thanks to specific Articles included confrontational relations to deal in the Civil Code. However, it is not with single issues (e.g. welfare, widespread. performance-related pay, skills and training, health and safety, etc.). One example is the National joint Main priorities and issues at observatory for the metalworking stake industry established with the task of monitoring the economic Social dumping via collective development of the sector, bargaining. Among the possible side
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 20 effects of union pluralism, there is the unsustainable in the long run fragmentation of representation (as (Tiraboschi, Massagli, 2019). regards both labour and management side) and the multiplication of NCLAs. Scant development of company-level In Italy, there are currently 935 national collective bargaining and almost total collective agreements in force (CNEL, absence of territorial bargaining. 2020), compared to 922 in 2019 (CNEL, Issues such as productivity and 2019) and 844 in 2018 (CNEL, 2018). innovation goals could be better dealt Although the proliferation of NCLAs with by collective bargaining in can be the result of physiological companies (or territories) rather than at processes of sectoral specialisation the sectoral level, as they may vary and/or transformation, this phenomenon significantly across different areas or has been explained also in terms of social enterprises. However, the number of dumping, given the rise of collective company-level collective agreements agreements signed by non-representative has reduced lately compared to the employers’ and trade union figures reached in the Eighties (Sateriale, organisations with the sole aim of 2017). According to some reports lowering wage levels and labour costs (Fondazione Di Vittorio, 2020; ADAPT, (Gottardi, 2016; Tomassetti, 2019). 2020; OCSEL, 2019), the diffusion of Though more widespread in other company-level collective bargaining sectors, the manufacturing industry is not increases in a way directly proportional immune to the problem, as well- to the company size and it thus generally demonstrated by an empirical research excludes small enterprises. In addition, conducted on the apparel industry partly due to the location of large (Rizzuto, 2019). Among the proposed manufacturing groups, company-level solutions, the most discussed one is the collective bargaining concentrates in introduction of mechanisms to measure specific areas (i.e. in Central or Northern the representativeness of trade unions Italy), leaving other territories largely and employers’ associations in order to uncovered. Moreover, territorial select applicable and lawful NCLAs collective bargaining, which should have (Carinci et al., 2014). For some scholars, the potential to extend the benefits of such a regulation can no longer be collective negotiations also to small postponed (De Luca Tamajo, 2018; enterprises (Bavaro, 2017; Bellardi, Caruso, 2017); for others, it would imply 2008), is found to be limited to specific a dangerous political interference with areas and sectors (agriculture, the autonomy of social partners. And it’s construction). Finally, even where it not just that: as the assessment of social takes place, collective bargaining does partners’ representativeness would not always give rise to very good require the identification by law of the practices and in many cases, boundaries of economic sectors, that confrontational relations, scant worker however rapidly change and evolve, this participation and limited trade union solution is bound to be ineffective and involvement in developmental issues (e.g. worker training, performance-
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 21 related pay, welfare policies, strong promotion by the Italian organisational innovation) still prevail government (Dagnino et al., 2020). (Tomassetti, 2017). Moreover, the pandemic has turned out to be an accelerator of the effects of The effects of Covid-19 on industrial digitisation (UNCTDA, 2020) and it has relations. The Covid-19 emergency forced social partners to invest in brought about significant challenges to training and innovation in times of low companies and workers, and productivity. To support this trend, the subsequently, it considerably affected Italian government has set up a fund the content and dynamics of industrial (“Fondo Nuove Competenze”) to which relations. Notably, in the acute phase of companies can apply, after the signature the pandemic, social partners had to shift of a dedicated collective agreement, for their focus from issues such as digital financing employee training innovation and the ageing of the (Impellizieri, Massagli, 2020). Finally, workforce (which constituted the some assumptions have been made about priority in many workplaces and how industrial relations in Italy will territories) to the negotiation and change after Covid19. For instance, there management of economic support are claims that industrial relations will be measures, work organisation more cooperative, oriented to rearrangements and health and safety productivity goals and aimed at matters. Importantly, remote working endowing companies and workers with went from being a privilege of certain further economic support measures in sectors and a limited number of workers, addition to those provided by to representing the main topic of several government (Castro, 2020). collective negotiations, also given its
4. APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF NATIONAL TRADE UNIONS FOR DIGITALISATION IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR The information contained in this conducted between April and May 2020, paragraph was obtained through six and a focus group with 10 local trade semi-structured interviews with six unionists and worker representatives, national trade union representatives, held on October 19, 2020. Trade union representatives interviewed Participants in the focus group • WR1: General Secretary of a national trade • WR8: member of the worklace representation union federation in the metalworking sector (Fim body in a chemical enterprise, adhering to – CISL). Femca-CISL • WR2: member of the Secretariat of a national • WR9: Head of the Training Department of a trade union federation in the metalworking sector regional trade union federation in the (Fiom – CGIL). metalworking sector (Fim –CISL Veneto) • WR3: General Secretary of a national trade • WR10: member of the workplace representation union federation in the food industry (Fai – body in a textile company, adhering to Femca- CISL). CISL • WR4: member of the Secretariat of a national • WR11: General Secretary of a local trade union trade union federation (Femca – CISL), with federation (Femca – CISL, Valsesia Vercelli) expertise in the apparel industry. • WR12: member of the workplace representation • WR5: member of the Secretariat of a national body of an automotive company, adhering to trade union federation (Femca – CISL), with Fiom-CGIL expertise in the chemical-pharmaceutical sector • WR13: member of the workplace representation • WR6: member of the Secretariat of a national body of a steel enterprise, adhering to Fiom- trade union federation (Uiltec – UIL), with CGIL expertise in the chemical-pharmaceutical sector • WR14: member of the workplace representation body of chemical enterprise, adhering to Uiltec- UIL • WR15: member of the workplace representation body of an an eyewear sector enterprise, adhering to Femca-CISL • WR16: member of the workplace representation body of a chemical enterprise, adhering to Femca-CISL • WR 17: General Secretary of a local trade union federation (Uiltec – UIL, Vicenza).
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 23 General approaches and placed emphasis on possible risks and practices of national trade challenges for workers. WR8, for instance, believes that the introduction of unions digitisation changes the organisation of Vision and perspective. All respondents work and eliminates several job tasks, believe that it is not possible to combat forcing workers to specialise. WR 10, digitisation, which needs to be known instead, states that digitisation is both an and governed. All federations point to opportunity and a challenge: an training as an essential tool to deal with opportunity for the company (e.g. digitisation, as it influences every aspect digitalisation of services during the of work (i.e. production, organisation, Covid-19 emergency) and a challenge security, privacy, skills). Some for workers (e.g. transformation of the respondents (WR1, WR4) would like to production process). see trade unions more proactive towards digitisation. Other respondents (WR2) Research activities. Many trade union are particularly attentive and highlight federations have not carried out research the problems arising from ungoverned activities on digitisation. Respondents digitisation (i.e. the polarisation of skills; say that, in general, initiatives in this the weakening of national sectoral-level field have been episodic, sometimes in collective bargaining, given the collaboration with employers’ increasingly blurring contours of organisations (WR6) or led by individual economic sectors; and the obsolescence companies (WR5). Moreover, the task of of traditional distinctions between organising research activities generally subordination and self-employment, as lies with trade union confederations, they are more and more overlapping). which may then involve sectoral Respondents also identify some federations (WR3). However, trade obstacles in implementing their union organisations in the metalworking approach to digitalisation: i.e. the lack of sector stand out as particularly engaged awareness and knowledge among social in research. Indeed, FIOM-CGIL relied partners about the rapidity of current on the Sabattini Foundation (a research transformations (WR4, WR1) and the organisation established on the initiative difficulty of communicating their vision of the same trade union) to start its own to workers and managers (WR6). Other reflection on digitisation in 2017: a respondents (WR2 and WR3) believe position paper was then released and that digitalisation should be governed by discussion groups with local worker participatory models of industrial representatives were organised relations and that an obstacle is throughout the country to verify the represented by companies trying to actual impacts of digitalisation. Plus, manage the phenomenon unilaterally. empirical studies were conducted in four Similar views have been expressed also Italian regions: Veneto, Piedmont, by local trade unionists and worker Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna (the representatives, who however have latter study was carried out in
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 24 collaboration with IG Metall of Lobbying. All the interviewees Wolfsburg, given the interdependency of complain about the lack of involvement the respective automotive chains) of trade unions in the definition of (WR2). Conversely, FIM-CISL national public policies, especially with promoted and participated in a study on regard to the transformation of work. the effects of the World Class The last real experience of social Manufacturing methodology on the dialogue reported by WR1 is the so- Italian establishments of FCA-CNH called “Cabina di Regia” of the Industry Industrial (Campagna et al., 2015); it 4.0 Plan (a consultative-coordinating also contributed to write a “Green Paper body that included national and local on the role and functions of Competence institutions, trade associations, trade Centers” and a “White Paper on work unions and the academic world), which and competences in Industry 4.0” was then followed by a Commission on respectively in 2016 and 2017, in Artificial Intelligence set up by the collaboration with the ADAPT research former Ministry of Labour and Social team; and in 2018, it promoted, along Policies, Luigi di Maio. Overall, with the Association of clerks and relationships with public authorities managers of FCA-CNH Industrial mainly involve trade union (ACQF), the research “Clerks and confederations and only when specific managers towards Work 4.0” focused on sectoral topics are concerned, trade 10 metalworking companies (WR1). At union federations may be directly the local level, a digital literacy project engaged. All the interviewees (and has been promoted and implemented particularly WR3) share the need to between 2019 and 2020 by FIM-CISL in improve the involvement of social the Veneto region, in partnership with partners in policy making concerning the University of Padova and the training lifelong learning. At the same time, provider, IAL: the initiative was obstacles to a fruitful dialogue with intended to design and promote digital public authorities have been identified in literacy programmes in metalworking the lack of shared demands across companies and more than 600 workers different trade unions and the prevalence have already attended these courses. of a short-term approach, related to Finally, UILTEC-UIL is working with specific problems (WR4). In addition, the employers’ association, respondents report quite good examples Federchimica, to deepen the impact of of lobbying and social dialogue in some digital transformation at company level: regions and local areas (e.g. Emilia- the idea is to set up working groups made Romagna), particularly in relation to the up of managers from different use of the European Regional companies, that discuss with trade union Development Fund. Finally, WR1 has representatives about current long advocated the creation of so-called transformations and jointly plan “digital territorial ecosystems”, developmental paths. conceived as local networks and areas of debate involving social partners, public institutions and VET providers. Within
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 25 these digital territorial ecosystems, WR1 for worker representatives and company would support the development of a local managers. skills monitor system. Collective bargaining. Collective Training activities. All interviewees bargaining varies greatly from sector to confirm that training courses for trade sector. In the metalworking sector, great union representatives have been carried attention has been paid to worker out with modules dedicated to training especially via the introduction, digitalisation. In general, these courses in the 2016 renewal of the NCLA, of an (conducted at both national and regional individual right to training, materialising level) are organised by trade union in 24 hours in three years devoted to confederations (e.g. the Research Centre training due to each metalworker of CISL), though involving employed. WR1 believes that the right to representatives of trade union training should be the starting point for federations among participants. WP5 obtaining an individual right to skills stresses the importance to focus on the assessment and validation; plus, improvement of the skills of trade union negotiations for revising the job delegates, particularly as regards classification system in line with current workers’ training. WR2 complains about organisational transformations are the lack of partnerships between trade ongoing. Alongside training, WR2 unions and universities/research believes that new information rights organisations in the design of trade union should be introduced to deal with training activities. That is why, FIOM- organisation and technological CGIL is working on a possible innovation at the national and company collaboration with the Scuola Superiore level with a participatory approach. Sant’Anna of Pisa on topics linked to Relevant experiences in this sense have Industry 4.0 and innovation in welfare been reported in some companies and health. In addition to engaging with operating in the packaging and some EU-cofunded projects on training automotive industry in the Emilia- measures for trade unionists (e.g. “Smart Romagna region but they are not Unions for New Industry (SUNI)” widespread. Plus, WR2 reveals that initiative), FIM-CISL has set up a company-level collective bargaining partnership with Fastweb Digital struggles to cover issues such as Academy, to provide trade union organisational innovation and representatives with basic digital skills. productivity (which though are relevant Finally, as reported by WR6, UILTEC- in the light of Industry 4.0), mainly due UIL has launched a training course on to the difficulty to establish a normative digital communication for worker framework enabling information and representatives, with a test phase led in participation on these matters. Sicily. Plus, the same trade union is According to WR2, the tax credit for cooperating with the employers’ worker training increased the number of association Federchimica in the collective agreements on this issue and organisation of joint training seminars probably, a tax credit also for
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 26 technological investments could help initiative “Flexibility, Objectives, expand the matters covered by collective Results (FOR)” for a new way of bargaining. Similarly, WR4 operating in working in the chemical sector) and the food industry stresses the need for a health and safety. Notably, possible risks preventive approach to digitalisation, of remote working have been reported by thanks to collective negotiations taking worker representatives, who highlight place prior to the introduction of new the need for their containment through technologies. An important initiative in collective bargaining (WR10, WR11, this sense has been launched jointly by WR12, WR13, WR15, and WR17). trade unions and managers at Unilever Other relevant issues to be covered by Italian sites (Roesel, 2019). Overall, at collective bargaining at company level, the company level, many worker are data collection and usage (WR12). representatives strongly emphasise the Finally, as regards possible new levels need to assess the lack of basic digital for collective bargaining, WR2 and WR4 skills among workers. Coherently, the stress the importance to set NCLA for the chemical and homogeneous rules within a same pharmaceutical sector placed emphasis production chain, whereas WR6 on worker training, especially via the highlights the potential of “local enhancement of a trade union delegate in networks”, where SMEs could jointly companies with specific responsibilities face the challenges related to for occupational training (WR6) and the digitalisation. provision of an individual booklet for the registration of training activities (WR5). Multi-stakeholder programmes. Only Conversely, in the eyewear sector, a new a few of the interviewed federations job classification system has been reported multi-stakeholder programmes. recently introduced. Experience in this WR1 complains about a lack of field and in the apparel industry has cooperation with employers’ proved that it is hard to establish a associations in the metalworking sector general framework covering all and blames social partners and public companies within a sector as they may authorities, who are often slow at largely differ as regards the organisation recognising relevant issues and actively of work. Therefore, general guidelines operating to address them: there still is can be established at national level, but an anti-innovation culture to be company-level collective bargaining contrasted in Italy. Conversely, in the should be allowed to make adjustments chemical and pharmaceutical sector, (WR4). Other issues increasingly collaboration between trade unions and covered by collective bargaining, also employers’ associations on due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are developmental issues has been reported working time (with reduced time and (WR6 and WR5). A joint laboratory for eased procedures to set changes in the study of digital transformation in the working time at company level, as food industry is also advocated by WR6 revealed by WR5), remote working in partnership with the employers’ (with, for instance, the 2020 joint
COUNTRY FICHE ITALY 27 association, Federalimentare, and its learning (WR6, WR1), distance member organisations. collective bargaining (WR12, WR17) and the provision of union services Impact of digitisation on the internal through new tools such as apps (WR1, organisation of trade unions. All WR3). As far as membership is respondents claim that digitalisation has concerned, digitalisation has not changed the way they communicate with apparently changed membership rate or their members. Generally, social composition: a process of increase in the networks have been integrated with more number of white collars (compared to traditional means of communication blue collars) started several years ago (WR1). By and large, the restrictions (WR5). WR2 and WR5 believe that imposed by the pandemic led to an digitalisation has led to changes in increase in remote work even for trade workers’ needs and demands (e.g. unions. Digitalisation has also changed training), in the face of which trade union traditional tools for members’ enrolment offer was not adequate. Finally, WR9 (WR4). As revealed by WR1, for believes that in order to become more instance, FIM-CISL is working on the efficient in performing its work, the trade application of blockchain technology to union movement should exploit new the registration of trade union members. technologies to extract more data and Other trends are the increase in distance information.
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