Italy: the future president of Confindustria (employers’ body) evokes the idea of favoring company over branch level negotiations for organizing work amid the current crisis

Currently heading up Assolombarda, the powerful Milanese branch of the employers' organization, Carlo Bonomi will officially take over as head of Confindustria on 20 May. However trade unions are already in a stir over some remarks attributed to the future head, albeit supposedly uttered behind closed doors. In order to foster and facilitate the economic recovery, Mr. Bonomi wants to redefine how work is organized by derogating from national collective agreements so as to deal with the health crisis at the per-company level. While waiting for an official position, the trade unions steadfastly and firmly refuse to call branch negotiations into question of any sort.