The exhausting negotiations conducted by Federdistribuzione for the renewal of the large-scale distribution workers’ contract convinced Lidl Italia to leave the trade association after less than three years and to renew the agreement on the terms already agreed by Confcommercio with the workers’ unions.
Large-scale organized distribution, the contract expired four years ago
The news was disclosed by the discount group of German origin, which complains ‘the continuous and excessive prolongation of the negotiations for the renewal of the CCNL for Modern Organized Distribution, which expired in 2019‘. (1)
For more than four years over 240 thousand large-scale retail workers are waiting for their contract to be renewed. Patience is over. The strike organized on the Saturday before Easter by the national trade unions Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl Uiltucs therefore recorded an average participation of 60%, with peaks of 70 to 100%, with demonstrations and flashmobs in front of the shops and the closure of some stores. Including those from Lidl. (2)
Inflation and impoverishment of workers
The impoverishment of workers it’s a fact. As well as increased profits for large industry and food distribution. The latest editions of the Imagine Observatory have in turn documented the growth in value (turnover) and the contraction in the volumes of food sold. (3,4)
Lidl in fact, refers to the progressive erosion of the purchasing power of its 22 thousand employees, to justify its decision to offer them concrete and immediate answers. That means, ‘the application of the CCNL already renewed by Confcommercio, which provides for salary and one-off increases already defined’.
‘Since four years our collaborators are awaiting the renewal of the CCNL and it is unacceptable for us that the negotiations have further stalled due to dynamics that go beyond their needs. The prolonged stalemate in the negotiation has introduced uncertainties that we intend to overcome immediately due to the sense of responsibility we have towards our people‘ (Massimiliano Silvestri, President of Lidl Italia).
Lidl, a good job
The Lidl group has already stood out in the past for favorable decisions towards workers:
– in 2019, in Ireland, it was the first ‘retailer’ to apply the minimum wage of 12,30 euros/hour, (5)
– in 2020 it increased the pay of 19 thousand workers in the UK, bringing the starting salary to 9,30 pounds per hour (10,86 €/h), (6)
– in 2021 in Malta, for the third consecutive year, it was awarded as Best Employer by the Top Employers Institute. (7)
Federdistribuzione, from Ikea to Carrefour
Federdistribuzione and the 49 groups associated with it, including 17 food distributors, do not appear to be willing to share the ‘best place to work’ award. (8)
A curiosity. Federdistribuzione was born in Milan in 1960 and immediately joined Confcommercio. At the end of 2011 he abandoned it, and today he risks succumbing to it. The value of work seems better represented in Confcommercio, which associates 70 thousand companies and has already agreed on the expected wage increase for three million workers from January 2023, 9. (XNUMX)
Marta Strinati
Footnotes
(1) LIDL ITALIA LEAVES FEDERDISTRIBUZIONE: TIMES TOO LONG FOR RENEWAL OF THE CCNL. Lidl press release. 4.4.24 https://corporate.lidl.it/media-center/comunicati-stampa/lidl-italia-esce-da-federdistribuzione-tempi-troppo-lunghi-per-rinnovo-ccnl
(2) Large-scale retail trade: union strike after failure to renew the employment contract. Rainews24. 30.3.24 https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2024/03/grande-distribuzione-sciopero-dei-sindacati-dopo-il-mancato-rinnovo-del-contratto-efc9cfb6-7704-4337-8e41-2cd05cf061e8.html
(3) Marta Strinati. High prices, reduced food consumption. The 14th edition of Osservatorio Imagine. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 14.1.24
(4) Marta Strinati. Food sales in Italy are stressed by high prices. The Immagino Report. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 17.7.23
(5) Pay increase on the way for 800 Lidl workers. RTE. 18.11.19 https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2019/1118/1092644-lidl-ireland-living-wage/
(6) Joe Middleton. 19,000 Lidl workers are set for pay rise as supermarket bosses invest £10m to boost starter wages to £9.30 an hour. Daily Mail. 19.11.19 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7701149/Lidl-workers-set-pay-rise-supermarket-bosses-invest-10m-boost-starter-wages.html
(7) LIDL Malta – another year as top employer. Newsbooks. 25.1.21 https://newsbook.com.mt/en/lidl-malta-another-year-as-top-employer/
(8) The food groups associated with Federdistribuzione are Bennet, Carrefour, Crai, Despar, DM, Esselunga, Famila, In’s, Iper, Coop Master Alleanza 3.0, Metro, Gabrielli with the Tigre, Tigre Amico and Oasi brands, Pam Panorama , Penny Market, Selex, Sidis, VéGé Group. Non-food items include giants such as Acqua e Sapone, Brico, Rinascente, Ikea and Max Mara. V. https://www.federdistribuzione.it/chi-siamo/le-aziende-associate/
(9) Pietro Ronconi. Contract renewal in the tertiary sector: increase of 240 euros when fully operational for 3 million workers. Fortune Italy. 22.3.24 https://www.fortuneita.com/2024/03/22/rinnovo-del-contratto-nel-terziario-aumento-di-240-euro-a-regime-per-3-milioni-di-lavoratori/
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
