Italian unions rally against €1.3 billion private healthcare funding

The main Italian health unions – FP CGIL, CISL FP and UIL FP – organised a national protest in front of the Ministry of Health in Rome. They denounced the government’s planned allocation of €1.3 billion to private healthcare facilities without any requirement to renew collective bargaining agreements for more than 300,000 workers in the sector.

Union leaders Federico Bozzanca, Roberto Chierchia and Rita Longobardi warned that the funds would go to private enterprises while workers remain without contract renewals that have been pending for eight to fourteen years. They highlighted a pay gap of up to €500 per month compared with public‑sector counterparts and the exclusion of private‑sector staff from vacation allowances. The unions demand that any public money given to private providers be tied to guaranteed contract renewals and call for the immediate revocation of recent legal provisions they consider discriminatory.

The protest follows data from the Area Studi Mediobanca showing that private‑sector revenues reached €13.4 billion in 2024, a 22 % increase since 2019, while wages lag behind public employees. The unions said the mobilisation will continue until concrete answers are received.