Background information

Following up the decree no. 6 issued on 23 February 2020, on 26 April 2020 the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined a new plan to ease the lockdown restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 infections. Measures will be relaxed from 4 May 2020. Together with these measures the government negotiated a protocol agreement included as annex (no. 8) of the decree, with trade unions and employers' organisations on health and safety at work in the transport sector and logistics.

Content of measure

The protocol introduced general rules to follow at the workplace for the whole transport sector and logistics, including:

• Information to workers regarding the correct use of individual protective equipment (gloves, face masks, coverall);
• Protocol for the sanitation and the proper cleaning of the rooms and means of transport;
• If possible, provision of disinfecting gel on all means of transport for the use of customers;
• Suspension of all training courses and meetings;
• Where possible, limitation to the sale of transport tickets, to reduce the number of people travelling on each mean of transport;
• Rules for the use of shared rooms, in particular changing rooms.

Furthermore, the protocol set specific rules for the different kind of transportation (aerial transport, goods road transport, public transportation on road and rail, rail sector, maritime transportation).

Use of measure

The protocol applies to all the kind of transportation, both private as well as public ones: aerial transport, goods road transport, public transportation on road and rail, rail sector, maritime transportation.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Sector specific set of companies	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Sectoral or branch level

Involvement

The protocol was negotiated by the Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport on the government side, together with the main employers' organisations in the transport and logistics sector (Confindustria, Confetra, Confcoooperative, Conftrasporto, Confartigianato, Assoporti, Assaeroporti, CNA-FITA, AICAI, ANITA, ASSTRA, ANAV, AGENS, Confitarma, Assarmatori, Legacoop Produzione Servizi) and the largest trade unions (Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl and UilTrasporti). The most representative social partners were involved, signing the main national collective agreement in the sector.

Views and reactions

The social partners are satisfied with the provisions included in the protocol, negotiated during the peak of the COVID-19 emergency. It allowed, in fact, to continue the working activities in the transport sector and logistics in safe conditions, sectors which turned to be crucial during the lockdown. At the same time, it enabled to safeguard the jobs and the income levels of the workforce in the sector.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 26 April 2020: Ministry for Labour and Social Policies