Waste Collection Workers Protestโ Stalledโข Contract Negotiations & Demanding Better Conditions
Lucca,Italy – Hundreds of waste collection workers demonstrated today outside the Lucca โprefecture,protesting the lack of progress in national collective โขlabor contract renewal โคtalks,which expired at the end of 2024.โข The strike, organized by FP-Cgil, Fit-Cisl, UilTrasporti, โฃand Fiadel, impacted services across the region, involving employees from โฃcompanies including Gea, Ersu, Sea Ambiente, Sea Diritti, Ascit, and Sistema Ambiente, alongside other private firmsโข operating under the CCNL Utilitalia agreement.
The โcore of theโค dispute extends beyond wages, though workers โhighlightโ the erosion of purchasing power with average salaries hoveringโค around โฌ1,300 per month amidst rising living costs. Protesters are demanding comprehensiveโข improvements to health and safety,a modernized personnel classification system,and a commitment to addressingโ generational and social inequalities within the workforce.
Specific demands include increased economic compensation, โprotections โฃfor workers over 55, improved work-life balance, and greater job security. Unions โคare also advocating for consistent submission โof the CCNL to all contracted services, including those provided by social โคcooperatives, to combat exploitative labor practices. Strengthening existingโข welfare benefits – including Previambiente (socialโ security), Fasda (healthcare), and Triva Foundation (safety training) – is also โคa key priority.
Concerns are notably acute in theโ Serchio Valley, where a planned reorganization of waste managementโ services is fueling anxieties among workers. โThe lackโค of openness surrounding โฃthe restructuring process has sparked fears of deteriorating working conditions โand a potential decline in service quality for residents.
A major focus of the protestโค centers on the risky conditions faced by those performing door-to-door waste collection. Workers report being required to work during extreme weather events – including heat emergencies and under red โฃor orange weather alerts – and in areas prone toโ landslides. Thay are calling for โคinvestment in equipment to lessen โขthe โphysical strain ofโฃ the job โฃand a fairer distribution of workloads.
Furthermore, employees are frustrated byโ a โขlack of clarity in job roles and responsibilities, describing a “skill soup” where increased duties are not reflected โคin compensation or formal recognition.
“we need a salary that reflects the cost of living, but more importantly, we need safety โคand a fair workload,” stated Lorenzo Pieroni, a Sistema Ambiente employee and union delegate. Angelo Roberti, also of Sistema ambiente,โค added, โค”We deserve protection, safety, dignity, and a contract that truly values the work we do.”
