As you already know, our collective bargaining round for our national contract wage increase started 8 months ago. I rembember for all FIM-FIOM-UILM demand:

Scheduled inflation 2003/2004 (from government) 2,7%

Real inflation 2003/2004 4,9% Difference between the scheduled and the real 2,3%

Scheduled inflation 2005/2006(from government) 3,1% Real Inflation expected (unions’evaluation) 4,3%

Wage increase demand 130Euro The demand of 130Euro means 7.8% equal to: Scheduled and real inflation 6,3% distribution of productivity 1,5%

(mind that in our agreements one point is equal to 16.55Euro) In the negotiation table the metalworkers employer’s association offered 3,6%.More, the employers asked the complete control on working time (They want to cancel negotiation on national and company level on working time and flexibilisation). As you can understand the situation is very difficult also because the Confindustria (industrial employers association want to renegotiate the 1993 agreement on the collective bargainig structure). The distance between our demand and the offer of the employers is so high that is impossible to think to a mediation, more we refuse the demand of the employers on working time. After all these months of discussions and struggle FIM-FIOM-UILM decided the National strike of all the metalworkers for the 29th of September. Demonstration will take place in many italian towns. Next meeting with the employers will be on 4th of October.