There are approximately 10 thousand employees to whom the national collective agreement for social cooperatives applies in the province of Bergamo. Contract that was renewed last March, with an increase in average hourly labor costs that fluctuates “between 12.5% and 13% over the course of its validity”, he says Omar Piazza, vice-president of Confcooperative Bergamo. For this reason, as well as for the changes that occurred among the mayors during last week’s electoral round, Confcooperative, Legacoop and Agci together with Cgil, Cisl and Uil have addressed an open letter to new and first citizens already in full swing, to ask that the tariffs contained in the contracts be adjusted accordingly. Competitions ranging from social services to educational ones, up to assistance. But the collective agreement, he points out Lodovico Patelli, coordinator of the Legacoop Bergamo committee, it also applies to the private sector: «In particular for cooperation that deals with job placements – he specifies -. Unfortunately, the (public, ed) are made on the basis of previous contracts, there is therefore the problem of how to recover this holiday period”.
To date, only a portion of public administrations have completed the process for reviewing service tariffs: «The increases derive from the need to adequately pay for care work», highlights Piazza. On the other hand, summer is the period of the year in which renewals for the awarding of services are very often announced by public administrations: «On Wednesday we will file the new tables with the Labor Inspectorate, so we will complete the information framework necessary for the administrations to be able to implement the increases”, explains Piazza.
On the table is the need to guarantee the quality of services, but also fair remuneration to prevent workers from moving towards other sectors: «Social cooperation is a sector with high professionalism – he reflects Marco Toscano, general secretary of the CGIL of Bergamo –. To retain skills, we must also go through adequate remuneration.” For example in the «public sector and in schools – he adds Pasquale Papaianni, of Uil Bergamo –. Highly educated people work in these sectors, such as graduates in pedagogy, as well as in the social and health sector.” Along the same lines too Francesco Corna, general secretary of CISL Bergamo: «People who carry out essential services must be protected as best as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes even public bodies, having to deal with their resources, publish low-cost tenders. But in this way they contribute to further reducing workers’ pay.”
