Two of Italy’s major energy companies have agreed with trade unions on new measures to improve parental rights, wellbeing of workers, purchasing power and recruitment.
At Enel, a group-wide agreement with the Filctem-Cgil, Flaei-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions improves parental leave and pay. Since January, paternity leave allowance has doubled to 20 days (30 in the event of twins) compared to the 10 days legal right. Remuneration for optional parental leave has increased to 90% of salary for the first month and 60% for the next two months, while unpaid leave for parents with a sick child aged between 3 and 12 goes up to 10 days per year.
A second agreement foresees hiring of 1,250 new distribution staff in the next 12 months. Trade unions have complained of unsustainable workloads and daily routines “increasingly conditioned by the demands of guaranteeing electrical service” and “repairing breakdowns”.
Meanwhile at ENI, the new Noi (Us) protocol signed by Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec aims to boost employee well-being and health, parenthood and purchasing power. Meetings and workshops throughout Italy involving 200 employees, half of them under 35 years old, took a role in drawing up the protocol. “We wanted to take into account the entire life cycle” of employees, commented ENI HR Director Luca De Santis.