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WOOD AND FURNITURE SECTOR - NATIONAL STRIKE TOMORROW IN ITALY FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE NATIONAL COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT - DEMONSTRATIONS IN 4 CITIES

20/02/2020

Tomorrow, on 21 February, there will be an 8-hour general strike of all employees and temporary workers in the wood and furniture industry. The Italian sectoral trade unions, Feneal Uil, Filca-Cisl and Fillea-Cgil, decided to go on strike, after the breakdown of the negotiations with Federlegno (Employers’ Association) for the renewal of the national collective agreement which expired on 31 March 2019.

About 150 thousand workers are employed in this sector.

"We decided to organize four interregional demonstrations: in Milan, Treviso, Pesaro and Bari, where the majority of wood and furniture companies are located” declared the 3 national trade union secretaries responsible for the sector.

“We do not accept the increase in precariousness and the reduction of rights. The 150 thousand workers in the sector have been waiting for the renewal for almost a year and do not deserve the treatment they received so far by a counterpart who intends to affirm a business model based, not on the quality of work, investments, professionalism and organizational well-being, but on reducing costs and on unilateral management of the organization of work.

We cannot accept this!! Breaking off the negotiations was a very serious act that shows a very poor consideration of industrial relations, while we are convinced that the new challenges on the markets consist of focusing on innovation and on the governance of production transformations, investing in human capital, paying the right wages, with appropriate safeguards and protections, and strengthening worker participation.

We ask for an agreement that redistributes adequate resources to workers – the 3 trade unions conclude - defending the quality of work and ensuring a strong system of industrial relations with a view to participation and organizational well-being."