Intesa Sanpaolo, the largest Italian bank, remains in the ABI but no longer wants the association to represent it at the negotiating table for the renewal of the national contract, in which it will in any case take part.
The decision, communicated on 27 February but which was only circulated on Thursday morning, was interpreted in a different way even if the official communications throw water on the fire with the ABI which speaks of a 'national contract which remains central', an understanding that " will continue to stand by the association" in the negotiations while the unions have avoided any comment.
In the sector, relations between the parties have always been, with some parentheses, very good.
Thus there are those who have spoken of a tear within the association, who of the decline of national bargaining in favor of the secondary one, who of an inevitable evolution of union relations.
And there are also those who have gone so far as to draw a parallel with Marchionne's exit from Fiat from Confindustria
, a parallel which however does not consider that Intesa will remain in the association and will also be invited to the negotiating table.
It should be remembered that the group led by Carlo Messina, as a result of the concentration process, now represents a large part of the sector and its workers, achieving ever greater profits.
And that in recent months he has taken decisions without the agreement with the unions that he was struggling to arrive.
A behavior strongly criticized especially by Fabi and his secretary Lando Sileoni also in the negotiations of the last few days at the table with the Abi.
The group has decided to give employees a bonus against high prices and energy, a short 4-day week, 120-day smart working.
Measures that have received strong support among employees.
Moreover, these decisions are possible even with the current contract which had found a difficult balance between first and second level bargaining.
Therefore, for now, Intesa would not intend to create its own alternative contract to the national one but will evaluate the contents that will emerge from the negotiations to avoid automatisms that force it into a scheme that is too narrow and no longer suitable for its characteristics.
The Ca' de Sass bank underlined that it would "maintain membership in the association" and that it will also have direct negotiations "to provide the most appropriate support for our organizational model and the role played by Intesa Sanpaolo in our country".
This in a context of "full guarantee of individual and collective rights".
alternative contract to the national one but will evaluate the contents that will emerge from the negotiations to avoid automatisms that force it into a scheme that is too narrow and no longer suitable for its characteristics.
The Ca' de Sass bank underlined that it "maintains membership in the association" and that it will also have direct negotiations "to provide the most appropriate support for our organizational model and the role played by Intesa Sanpaolo in our country".
This in a context of "full guarantee of individual and collective rights".
alternative contract to the national one but will evaluate the contents that will emerge from the negotiations to avoid automatisms that force it into a scheme that is too narrow and no longer suitable for its characteristics.
The Ca' de Sass bank underlined that it would "maintain membership in the association" and that it will also have direct negotiations "to provide the most appropriate support for our organizational model and the role played by Intesa Sanpaolo in our country".
This in a context of "full guarantee of individual and collective rights".
And the general manager of Abi Sabatini points out how Intesa will continue to participate in the Casl.
"The association - he specifies - deals with the definition of the national collective labor agreement. Then there are the prospects and business choices of the individual companies and we naturally do not enter into these".
Then there are those who speak of tension between large and small banks in the association, increasingly distant worlds and with different objectives.
Not a new theme though.
The then CEO of Unicredit Alessandro Profumo put the issue on the table years ago and the issue was resolved by the current president Abi Antonio Patuelli with an 'award' which provided for the alternation at the top between small and large institutions.
The pandemic crisis has given new impetus to the role of
Abi in negotiating extraordinary measures with the authorities as well as his growing role in the European institutions.
However, the signed agreements may not be implemented by the member banks.
Where the statute provides for a binding mandate it is precisely in the negotiation and signing of the employment contract through the trade union affairs committee (Casl), chaired by Ilaria Maria Dalla Riva (Unicredit) since December.
We will now see the effect on the renewal negotiations.
The contract, which expired at the end of December, has already been extended twice to allow for negotiations and the next deadline is April 30th.
We are still in the initial stages however, as Sabatini also recalled and the "factual negotiations have not yet begun", "we will see the picture when we get closer to the bargaining phase".