Right to withdraw labour
On 2 March 2022, an innovative agreement was signed by the motorway company Autostrade per l’Italia (5,300 employees) and the trade unions FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL, UIL-Trasporti, SLA-CISAL, UGL Viabilita, Fillea – CGIL, Filca – CISL and Fenealuil, at the Ministry of Employment, in the presence of minister Andrea Orlando. This agreement provides for the creation, for the first time in Italy, of a right to withdraw labour, i.e. the right for every employee, regardless of the position they hold, their length of service or the role they play, to stop work where they believe that this work is not being performed in complete safety and might result in accidents, injuries or occupational illnesses, either to themselves or others.
The agreement also provides for the organisation of a periodic “safety walk”, i.e. periodic inspections of the workplace conducted by management, both for observation purposes and to listen to workers’ concerns, with a view to promoting good behaviour. The memorandum of understanding provides for the creation of a strategic joint safety committee, with a view to guiding and monitoring initiatives taken in the area of vocational health and safety, and to setting short, medium and long-term objectives, in accordance with the group’s strategy.
(Article published in IR Notes 181 – 9 March 2022)
