Siena's Fiom Cgil calls for 100% wage integration for metalworkers on temporary lay‑offs

The Fiom Cgil union in Siena has presented a territorial agreement that would require employers to supplement the pay of metalworkers on cassa integrazione (government‑funded reduced‑hours schemes) up to 100% of their normal salary when the lay‑offs stem from temporary market downturns, production slowdowns or organisational needs, rather than from structural crises.

Union data show a sharp rise in authorised cassa integrazione hours in the province: from 426,562 hours in 2023 to 734,586 in 2024 and above 2.1 million in 2025, with extraordinary hours jumping from about 8,500 in 2023 to more than 1.27 million in 2025. Siena also records one of Italy’s highest inflation rates at 3.3%, pressuring household budgets. Fiom argues that full‑wage integration would protect purchasing power, sustain local consumption and reinforce social cohesion, urging employers to share the cost of market‑driven salary erosion.