Republic’: early retirements and early retirements with incentivesdigital transition and less paper
Union agreement closed at la Repubblica between the Editorial Committee (Alessandra Ziniti, Zita Dazzi, Francesca Savino, Matteo Pucciarelli, Luca Pagni) and the Company after long and elaborate negotiations. Professione Reporter reports that it is an agreement that the editorial staff largely found appreciable for its balance and search for fairness. The company’s goal is a saving of 5 million euros.
Let’s look at the key points in detail: forty-six exits in 2024, including early retirements and exoduses favored by economic incentives. One hire for every two exits, up to the thirty-first. Then one hire every exit. All hirings with journalistic contracts (while the latest legislation provides that technical figures can also be hired in place of journalists). Technological investments. Increased budgets for collaborations. Welfare for the journalists who remain, which is equivalent to salary increases. Slight decline in paper pages, slight decline in local spine staffing.
Here are the points of the agreement according to what Professione Reporter reports
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS. Those who will go to the redundancy fund, as a transition towards early retirement (starting from 62 years of age), will obtain: a gross amount corresponding to the fixed salary lost during the quarterly CIGs period; one month’s salary for each missing year up to the age of 67; 1 and a half months’ salary for those who agree to provide service from the signing of the agreement up to the placement on CIGs, taking care of court and holidays. The average incentive for early retirees is calculated at 77 thousand euros each.
YOUNG EXODUS. Even those who are not of early retirement age can leave by obtaining, in addition to severance pay and other severance pay:
24 months of the gross annual salary for 2023 (without overtime, Sundays, holidays, collaborations) for those over 45 years of age;
12 monthly payments for those aged between 40 and 44;
6 monthly payments for those under 40 years old
NEW ENTRY. As required by the 2019 early retirement law, the Company will make one permanent hire for every two exits of early retirees or journalists who choose the incentive. Starting from the thirty-first issue, the replacement ratio will go from 1 to 1: one hire according to the legal criteria and one from the pool of Gedi Digital journalists who already work for La Repubblica.
JOURNALISTS ONLY. All hires will take place under a journalistic contract and will largely be identified among current collaborators.
EXTRA REVENUES. If at the end of the plan all 46 expected exits are made, the Management undertakes, in the month of January 2025, to make 2 further hires.
INVESTMENTS. The Company undertakes to make investments in the editorial system, in technological equipment, in technology to improve the relationship with readers, in the digital training of the editorial staff.
LOCAL BUDGETS. Increase for 2024 of 10,000 euros gross of the total collaborations of each of the local editorial offices, which can be used both for the benefit of existing collaborators and to increase the number of collaborations. The increase will also be recognized for the year 2025 in the case of application of at least 80% of the entire plan.
WELFARE. For the year 2024, a “reward-based welfare plan” aimed at all journalists who are not eligible for early retirement and are hired on a permanent basis, including those who will be hired to replace those leaving (based on the pro-quota accrued from the date of entry): starting from April 2024 a “flexible welfare package” of 1,100 euros; by October 2024 a further welfare sum of 500 euros, if the plan is at least 80% implemented.
STAFF AND SALARY. If the plan is at least 80% implemented, therefore with 37 exits, the Company will not proceed with measures to reduce the headcount of the newspaper and the overall remuneration of journalists until 31 December 2025.
SMART WORKING. The current regulation of smart working for journalists of la Repubblica, provided for in the agreement of 6 December 2021, is extended until 31 December 2025.
FOLIATION. The plan involves the completion of the “digital transition” and therefore a “cut” of paper with 4 fewer pages on the national edition (weather, TV programs, crosswords, one of the three of letters and comments and one of self-promotional advertising) and 4 less on local backs. Every Saturday the circulation of local editions would increase from 12 to 20 pages.
LOCAL STAFF. Minimum numbers are set: in Milan no fewer than 17 journalists (today there are 21), in Rome 13 (there are 16), in Bari and Palermo 9 (like today), in the other places 10 (in Turin there are 12, in Bologna, Florence , Genoa and Naples 11).