On 14 April 2016, the Trade Unions of the Credit Sector and the Italian Banking Association (ABI) have approved the final coordinated text of the National Collective Labour Agreement for the Credit Sector. The agreement is the result of long negotiations, which went on for more than one year, following underwriting of the agreement between the parties on 31 March 2015 and valid until 31 December 2018. The confirmation of the solidarity and employment fund and of the bilateral organisations (the private agencies established by the trade unions and employers of the sector) are two of the most important pillars of the new agreement, revolving around the issues of solidarity and protection of sound employment. With the approval of the agreement, as explained in a note released by ABI, «the importance of national bargaining is confirmed, and, with cutting-edge solutions, the industrial relations at a company and group levelare enhanced in a decisive phase of the overall reorganization of the banking sector ». For the banks, the agreement « provides adequate responses to the professional and occupational interests of workers, and, at the same time, the need for stability and balance of lending and financial businesses»
