There is trouble among the employees of Feltrinelli and Finlibri. After six months of negotiations for the renewal of the supplementary contract, the company and the unions have not reached any agreement. The dialogue is currently at a standstill and for this reason Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs have decided to proclaim a state of agitation. The main issue to be resolved concerns what the trade unions call the “entry wage” and which Feltrinelli had no intention of eliminating. This is a measure that the acronyms consider discriminatory because it gives newly hired workers fewer rights and a lower salary than other workers. Over 1,200 employees spread across various stores in Italy are on a war footingand to make their voices heard they choose to protest in December, the most expensive month for the trade sector. In this period the bookshop chain, like other shops, is popular for Christmas and Epiphany gifts.
Feltrinelli, employees in a state of agitation. Meniconi (Fisascat Cisl): “Stop discriminating against workers”
The time for sacrifices is over, say the unions, it is necessary to review some items of the supplementary contract. Daniele Meniconi, union official of Fisascat Cisl, who deals with the matter, exclusively to /, explains the reasons for the state of turmoil and what type of contract is reserved for new hires: “To help the company and the negative period from a financial point of view we have met the needs of society from a trade union point of view to safeguard employment. Now, with a different economic situation, those measures are no longer justifiable.” The “entry wage” precisely: “Worsening conditions are expected if we can define them that way – explains Meniconi – for new hires, that is, those who are hired for the first 24 months do not receive increases on Sundays and suffer reductions on the performance bonus. Now, given that things are going much better, we believe that these discriminatory conditions should be eliminated. We made this request throughout the negotiation.” Feltrinelli's response? “At the moment negative, he doesn't want to do without the entry salary, perhaps not for 24 months but for fewer months but we intend to eliminate it completely”.
Fisascat Cisl: “Clear performance bonus, easy to understand for employees”
The state of unrest has begun and the Feltrinelli and FinLibri employees do not intend to stop. “It means that the worker will no longer provide any additional availability, that is, outside of those provided for in the contract – continues the trade unionist – but it also represents a hat for the territories, more agitated than others, which intend to undertake some strike action perhaps during the Christmas holidays.”
Not just “entry salary”, the object of the dispute also concerns the performance bonus considered too enigmatic and difficult for the employee to understand. “The company wants to change it in a way that doesn't convince us – continues the union official – they are still five indicators but very cumbersome. I am a proponent of simple rewards that the worker can track. He knows when they get him. Feltrinelli wants to insert data that the employee will not be able to understand well.”
When asked if other meetings with Feltrinelli have been scheduled, Menicono replies: “Not for now, even if the company has contacted the unions informally saying that they have understood our point of view and would like to meet us. Perhaps there will be a new confrontation in the first 15 days of January.”
The working conditions are also unfavorable for Coi employees, the historic Venetian group will close another 7 stores in 2025, 8 if we consider the one in Grusgliasco, in the Turin area. 92 people risk being fired.
