Renewal of the collective agreement, 5 tips for the employer to best prepare

The employment relationship is typically regulated both by national legislation and by individual national collective labor agreements (Ccnl), the latter stipulated by organizations representing employers, on the one hand, and workers, on the other.
Precisely because of the importance that the Ccnl have in terms of economic and regulatory treatment to be granted to workers, their renewal, being a source of modifications of already existing institutions, introduction of new provisions or even salary increases, must be treated with the maximum attention from employers.
Here are 5 useful tips in detail to best prepare.
Renewal of the collective agreement, 5 tips for the employer to best prepare Understand which sums are subject to increase Simulate the economic impact of contractual increases Set aside sums in the budget Pay attention to outstanding sums How to deal with superminimum wages? Understanding which sums are subject to increase Each renewal of the collective agreement is usually accompanied by an increase in the minimum wages provided for in the previous agreement.
Depending on the pay elements and the agreements between the stipulating parties, we can see an increase in: Basic pay or table minimums; Contingency; Other remuneration elements such as function allowance or cash allowance and money handling.
To what has just been mentioned, a modification to the amounts foreseen by way of: Additional monthly payments can also be added, such as the introduction of a fourteenth month in addition to the thirteenth; Seniority increases.
The latter, let's remember, are sums that accrue based on the employee's length of service in the company.
For example, the Ccnl Commercio e tertiario – Confcommercio provides for the maturation of ten overall steps, each of them every three years of permanence in the company.
The amount of the single step changes according to the level of classification: Euro 25.46 for the middle level; €24.84 for the first level; Euro 22.83 for the second level; Euro 21.95 for the third level; Euro 20.66 for the fourth level; Euro 20.30 for the fifth level; Euro 19.73 for the sixth level; Euro 19.47 for the seventh level.
The increases must be recognized in the pay slip starting from the month immediately following the month in which the three-year period is completed.
Once the regulation of seniority increments has been clarified, a renewal of the collective agreement could, for example: Increase the amount of the single increment; Shorten the maturation period of individual shots, for example from three to two years.
Ultimately, it is essential for the company to first understand the scope of the increases resulting from the renewal of the collective agreement, making a simple list of the institutions involved.
read also How to choose the Ccnl to apply to your company? Simulate the economic impact of contractual increases Once you have understood which institutions are subject to the increase, it is a good idea for the company to quantify the impact in economic terms of the contractual changes.
Normally, once the necessary calculations have been completed, a percentage is obtained which expresses, in principle, the increase in labor costs resulting from the renewal of the Ccnl.
The company can be helped in this activity by communications from the employers' and trade unions' organizations involved in the negotiation, in which a hypothetical percentage increase in labor costs can already be reported, useful for carrying out the first simulations.
Once the percentage in question has been obtained, it can be applied to the budget for the year, so as to have the expression in euros of the impact of the renewal of the collective agreement applied.
From this aspect it is appropriate to specify that the percentage in question can be obtained: While the negotiations for the renewal of the Ccnl are still ongoing; Once the renewal agreement has been signed.
As can be imagined, in the first case the situation is likely to change depending on the developments of the negotiations, both in the sense of a lower cost for the company and, on the contrary, towards what is a greater economic burden.
Consequently, in similar cases, it is best to consider, on a prudential basis, a margin of error of the order of 2-3 percentage points of increased cost for the company.
On the contrary, once the national collective labor agreement renewal agreement has been signed, it is possible to apply, always with a view to prudence, a lower margin of error than the one mentioned above, for example within a range of 0.5 – 1%.
of higher business cost.
Setting aside the sums in the budget Once the value in economic terms of the increased labor costs resulting from the renewal of the collective agreement has been obtained, it is advisable to set aside a corresponding sum in the budget.
In this way the company, in addition to preparing for the economic effects of the new collective agreement, informs, thanks to the presentation in the financial statements, members, shareholders, banks, customers, suppliers and other external parties interested in the economic – financial health of the company, of the impact of the renewal in question.
Pay attention to outstanding amounts.
It may happen that months if not years pass between the expiry date of the collective agreement and its renewal.
In these situations, in addition to defining the salary increases, the parties can agree to cover from an economic point of view the "contractual holiday" period, the period, so to speak, in which the expired national collective bargaining agreement was applied awaiting renewal.
Consequently, when quantifying the higher labor costs, the company should also take into account the impact of salary arrears.
read also National Collective Labor Agreement (CCNL): purpose, archive and hierarchy of sources How to deal with superminims? An element that pertains both to simulations on higher labor costs and to personnel management and payroll processing is represented by the effects of contract renewal on superminimum wages.
The latter are compensations agreed in the individual contract or in company negotiations, the amount of which is added to the minimum wage defined by national and territorial collective bargaining.
When assigning the superminimum, the parties can decide whether or not it is to be considered absorbable by: Future contractual increases, such as to modify the aforementioned minimum wage; Level increases.
Let's assume the case of the employee Mario who is assigned an absorbable superminimum amount of €200.00 gross upon hiring.
Following the renewal of the national collective labor agreement, Mario's basic pay increases by 50.00 euros (always gross).
Since it is absorbable, the superminimum must be decreased by 50.00 euros, thus bringing the monthly sum to 150.00 euros.
Consequently, the employer, before the contractual renewal comes into force, should verify the conditions for assigning the superminimum amounts to all employees, in order to have an updated and truthful situation of which subjects have an absorbable superminimum amount.
or less.
In this sense, it could be considered to send information to the employees who will be affected by the absorption, so as to make them aware of the news before receiving their pay slip.