Signed the extraordinary protocol for the tertiary, distribution, and services sector: granting of one-off payment and contractual increases

Prepared by Marzio Scaglioni and Leila Rguibi

On 12nd December 2022, the employers’ association Confcommercio signed – in agreement with the trade unions Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Ulitucs – an extraordinary sector protocol that aims, on the one hand, to mitigate the effects of the increase in inflation and the cost of living in general, and, on the other hand, to resume negotiations for the renewal of the Tertiary, Distribution and Services NCLA, which expired on 31st December 2019. The next negotiations for the renewal of the NCLA will, indeed, take place according to a well-defined timetable that the Parties have indicated in the framework of the aforementioned protocol with the aim of reaching an agreement for the general renewal of the NCLA by spring 2023.

Until the negotiations are completed, the Parties agreed on the provision to workers to whom the aforementioned NCLA is applied of two different economic awards, in order to mitigate the economic and social impact that the pandemic, the energy crisis, the war in Europe, as well as the increase in inflation have had, and still continue to have, on the tertiary sector.

In particular, the Parties have agreed that all workers in force at the date of signing the protocol (i.e. 12nd December 2022) will receive a “one-off” payment to be grant  in two instalments: the first in January 2023, and the second in March 2023.

The total amount of the above one-off, with reference to workers classified at level IV, is €350.00, and it has to be re-proportioned in the event of part-time employment relationship, as well as in relation to the months of seniority accrued during the period between 2020 and 2022. In this regard, the protocol specifies that periods of military service, unpaid leave of absence, as well as all periods in which no remuneration is given by law or contract, will not be counted for seniority purposes. By way of example, periods of maternity leave, parental leave, periods of reduction and/or suspension of work due to the use of social shock absorbers during employment, etc. are instead taken into account for seniority purposes.Below is the table summarizing the one-off payment prorated for all other contractual levels.

Below is the table summarizing the one-off payment prorated for all other contractual levels.

LevelJanuary 2023March 2023
Middle Manager (the Italian so called “Quadro”)€347,22€260,42
1st€312,78€234,58
2nd€270,56€202,92
3rd€231,25€173,44
4th€200€150
5th€180,69€135,52
6th€162,22€121,67
7th€138,89€104,17
Sales Operator
1st Category€188,79€141,60
2nd Category€158,50€118,88

The parties have also agreed on the recognition, as of 1st April 2023, of an additional gross sum of €30 per month for level IV, to be recalculated for all other levels of personnel classification (see table below).

This sum is to be understood as an increase in basic pay as well as an advance on future contractual increases deriving from the renewal of the NCLA and, as such, is subject to the same absorption rules provided for by the current NCLA for the sector.

Finally, please find below a table summarizing the contractual increases envisaged for each job level’s employee.

LevelMinimum Increase Advance Payments  

 April 2023
Middle Manager (the Italian so called “Quadro”)€52,08
1st€46,92
2nd€40,58
3rd€34,69
4th€30,00
5th€27,10
6th€24,33
7th€20,83
Sales Operator
1st Category€28,32
2nd Category€23,78

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