Commerce, co-op contract renewed: increase of 240 euros

After long negotiations, the contract of cooperative distribution workers was renewed, signed by the Cooperative Associations ANCC-COOP, CONFCOOPERATIVE CONSUMO E UTENZA, AGCI Sector Consumption and by the trade unions, Filcams, Fisascat and Uiltucs. The agreement affects over 60 thousand employees, which for cooperative distribution means 1.8 billion euros of wages and social security contributions paid, in a context where over 90% of employment contracts are permanent and 20 million euros are invested in training courses.

The agreement will expire in March 2027 and provides for a fully operational salary increase of 240 euros gross at the fourth level, as well as a one-off allowance of 350 euros re-measured and re-proportioned for all positions.

The new protections

The agreement valorised gender equality and measures to support parenting, with the increase, for example, of paternity permits. New rules have been established to make it easier for new mothers to choose to spend the entire first year of life with their child, an economic incentive for the father who decides to take the optional leave in place of the mother, facilities for family reunification and for assisted fertilization . Furthermore, leaves and benefits have been introduced for women victims of violence. On the right to health, one month of paid leave has been recognized for cancer patients at the end of the treatment period.

Welfare

The agreement also marks a further investment by the cooperatives in corporate welfare, with the increase in the contribution of a further 36 euros per year per worker for the consolidation and improvement of healthcare services. «We are satisfied with the agreement, it is the most demanding national labor contract of the last 30 years: it will allow an important recovery of the purchasing power of cooperative workers, in a phase of great economic uncertainty, inflation and energy increases», explains Marco Pedroni , president of Ancc-Coop. The agreement «ensures cooperative enterprises gradual changes in labor costs in the coming years, therefore within a framework of economic sustainability – continues Pedroni -. It also includes important elements in terms of support for families and parenting and consolidates the health care services provided by the Coopersalute Fund. These are further elements of cooperative distinctiveness compared to the rest of large-scale distribution.”