Today, Wednesday 24 April, the long-awaited first meeting for the contract renewal of the Police Forces and the Armed Forces for three-year period 2022-2024.
The event marked a historic moment, as it was characterized by the direct participation of Trade Union Associations among Military (only the representative ones) as well as the Police Force unions.
It is the first time in republican history that these associations participate directly in negotiations rather than through mere consultation. The same Senator Raffaele De Rosa (Forza Italia) underlined the importance of this moment, recognizing the value of the presence of the APCSM at the meeting for the start of an unprecedented negotiation compared to the past which aims to improve the conditions of the soldiers engaged daily in the defense of the country and in the promotion of peace.
ASPMI’s proposals as part of the military trade union network
ASPMI attended the meeting with great enthusiasm and confidence. As part of the Military Trade Union Network we have brought to light a series of fundamental requests to ensure a really decent contract.
Among the main requests made by the Military Trade Union Network:
- Simplification of contracting procedures: we proposed dividing the negotiations into two different levels, one for the common aspects and the other for the specific ones of each force.
- Regulations for trade union activities: we asked for a temporary regulatory vehicle that allows APCSM managers to carry out trade union activities in the area, with the allocation of dedicated resources.
- We made an explicit request for a meeting with the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni to clarify the resources needed for the Defense and Security sector and guarantee equal dignity to the new Military Trade Union Associations.
- Focus on supplementary pensions: we have proposed an extraordinary operational focus on supplementary pensions for military personnel.
- Amendments to Law no. 46/2022 on military unions: with the request to define amending proposals to the law to address issues such as tax assistance services, the system of trade union relations and the interlocutory areal level.
As a Military Trade Union Network we have also underlined that the resources currently allocated they are not enough to ensure an adequate restoration of the purchasing power of military families, requesting an additional effort from the Government.
ASPMI’s proposals for the Italian Army
As a union of the Italian Army we have also expressed ours worry for the current system of division of resources which clearly penalizes the Army compared to the other Armed Forces.
For this reason we have pointed out that one is urgently needed system review to ensure adequate resources and intervene on issues such as extraordinary (for which we believe the negotiating table should be opened as soon as possible, as among other things the Government had already committed to on the sidelines of the last negotiation) and on flat-rate guard and employment allowances.
As stated by Francesco Gentile, one of the founders of ASPMIduring his speech:
The Prime Minister was surprised by the amount perceived as extraordinary by the Police Forces and the other Armed Forces, which we recall is 6 euros per hour. Imagine if he were to discover that the Italian Army receives a flat rate per hour of 3.27 euros. We have managed to flat-rate working hours, which is unacceptable. We must take action as soon as possible.
An aspect that will begin to be discussed with the opening of the next technical tables, the next one opening May 8th.
ASPMI, like the other military unions with which we have spoken in recent days, is determined to obtain a contract that reflects the needs and sacrifices of military personnel.
As much as we agree on the importance of arriving at a agreement in a short timeas emerged during the meeting, we believe that first of all these problematic aspects must be resolved. Sand the Government will not adequately respond to the requests presented, we reserve the right to take any action within our possibilities, slowing down the time for an agreement if necessary.
