Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Italy
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sector
Financial Services
Financial And Insurance Activities
Financial Service Activities, Except Insurance And Pension Funding
64.19 - Other monetary intermediation

395 - 470 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
11 November 2015
Employment effect (start)
9 March 2016
Foreseen end date
31 December 2018

Description

Italian banking group Unicredit is to lay off 540 employees at its Italian branches. The group recently updated the 2014-2018 industrial plan envisaging 12,200 dismissals, of which 5,640 in Italy. The group stated that the new plan will allow to increase the financial stability and profitability by reducing operational costs (1,6 million EUR savings are expected as a result of the job cuts).

In June 2014, Unicredit already agreed with Italian unions 5,100 dismissals, of which 2,700 still to be implemented (see Unicredit-IT2014). Over the next months, negotiations will be held for the further 540 job cuts, mainly addressing managerial staff.

Trade unions expressed criticism towards the new industrial plan. In addition, unions demand that additional dismissals are implemented only on a voluntary basis.

Update, 08/03/2016: An agreement was reached entailing a maximum number of 470 exits. The company agreed to provide incentivised early retirements for up to 200 managers. Other redundant workers will be offered: internal relocation with a lower wage (up to 175 maximum positions) or outplacement services aimed at starting a business as financial promoters or real estate agents, including an agency contract with Unicredit for a one-year minimum duration. The costs of the plan will be partially covered by managers themselves. In addition, the parties agreed the entrance of 200 new young workers, mainly by means of apprenticeship contracts.

Unions positively assessed the measures at hand, remarking that this is the first case of collective dismissals of managers negotiated through collective bargaining in Italy.


Sources

  • 30 October 2015: Corriere della sera
  • 30 October 2015: La Stampa
  • 11 November 2015: La Repubblica
  • 11 November 2015: Il Sole 24 Ore

Citation

Eurofound (2015), Unicredit, Internal restructuring in Italy, factsheet number 85426, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/85426.