ROMA – An agreement between Ita Airways and the unions for a salary increase in favor of ground and air personnel is getting closer and closer. First came the green light – informal – by Lufthansathe company that is negotiating the acquisition of a minority stake in Ita.
Ita, gray smoke on salaries. The company does not close, but the green light from Lufthansa is needed. The government called to mediate
by Aldo Fontanarosa
Now the government is also giving a clear signal of attention to the trade unions. Within hours of requesting a meeting, Deputy Minister Galeazzo Bignami opens the door to Fit-Cgil, Filt-Cis, Uiltrasporti and Ugl Transport by Air.
The disappointment of the Pnrr
The meeting will be held at the ministry on Tuesday 7 February, at 10.30. It will serve to take stock of the entire civil aviation sector. The unions demand a broad-based strategy from the executive and then insist on a precise request: they want new EU funds to be diverted to this sector, largely neglected by the Pnrr.
On the table, however, there is also the salary question to Ita Airways commanders, pilots, crews and ground personnel. Salaries that are far lower than those of other carriers, even low-cost carriers.
The fact that Bignami receives the trade unions so promptly can be interpreted as an endorsement to their requests for salary increases.
The technical aspects
In the next few hours, however, informal meetings will also be held between ITA managers and union technicians to finalize the terms of the agreement.
The unions are also awaiting another call. After the first two meetings with Ita on January 20 and 31, a full agreement has not been reached. For this reason, 9 trade unions have started a “cooling down” procedure – already on the 20th – which can also lead to a strike.
To avert the strike, the Ministry of Labor took charge of an attempt at mediation, calling the two sides (ITA and the unions) to the table. The confrontation in the ministerial seat should be held in about a week.
From hour to hour, however, the hypothesis is strengthened that Ita and the trade unions can sign a peace deal on payroll, which would lead to a timely increase in salaries. At that point, once the peace was signed, there would no longer be any need for any mediation in the Ministry of Labour.
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