Italy: Automobili Lamborghini SpA and Fiom-CGIL sign company agreement improving employee participation

“We’re increasingly projecting towards our strategic goal: being the most appealing employer in the industry.”  This is how Umberto Tossi, HR manager of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, presented the agreement officially signed on July 4 with the Fiom’s unitary trade union representation structures (RSU) to renew its company agreement.  Banking on full quality, it aims for “durable growth” by “linking the quality of services and the quality of labor to achieve excellence.”  Valid between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 and approved by a very large majority of the 950 workers concerned in June, this agreement also aims to give an “answer to the challenges markets are posing to the production fabric and national labor relations.”  Indeed, this agreement goes against the tide in the Italian auto industry, as it was signed by the Fiom and rejected by the Fim-Cisl (a minority among RSUs).  Why?  Because of the standard that states that any proposal is subject to workers’ vote and union consent, which the Fim claims violates the agreement of June 28, 2011 on union representativeness (see our dispatch No.  110443) which states that, to approve an agreement, approval by the majority of RSUs is sufficient.