Microsoft Italy, unions in a state of agitation after the new dismissal procedure

State of unrest for the workers of Microsoft Srl in Italywith the immediate suspension of overtime and additional work and of flexible working hours.

This was proclaimed by the trade union organisations Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucsfollowing the joint national coordination of 26 October and the national staff assembly of 30 October.

The new collective dismissal procedure

The decision comes after the launch, last October 2, of a new collective dismissal procedure involving 62 of the 995 employeesincluding a manager, in the Milan and Rome offices.

It is the third procedure launched by the US multinational in Italy in the space of three years, in a context of growing concern for employment stability and the future of the professionals present in our country.

The international reorganization of the group

The staff reduction is part of a broader international reorganization process that Microsoft motivates with the need to make its operating model more efficient and competitive, through the centralization of activities, the concentration of specialist skills and the review of the services offered.

The plan affects various business areas, from technical support and customer service to commercial, marketing, cybersecurity and development of cloud and artificial intelligence solutions.

In particular, the reorganization involves the transfer of some activities currently carried out in Italy to international hubs, including United States, Ireland, India, Israel, Portugal and Romania.

A choice that involves the progressive concentration of functions and skills abroad, while technological evolution, growing automation and the spread of digital assistance tools contribute to the redefinition of organizational structures.

Concerns about possible global exoduses

At a global level, the trade union organizations underline in the letter, the group is also defining an incentive plan for voluntary redundancy which could involve 60 thousand people by the end of 2026.

A picture that fuels further concerns about employment prospects, especially in light of the economic results of the multinational, which continues to record revenues and profits of several tens of billions of dollars.

A financial solidity that, for Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucsis difficult to reconcile with the repeated use of heavy staff reductions.

The clash over company integrative bargaining

“What makes the industrial relations framework even more critical is the clear refusal of the US parent company to the union proposal for integrated company bargaining”, reads the unions’ note.

The unitary platform, presented last April for the definition of the first Supplementary Company Contract, aims to strengthen information and participation rights, improve working conditions, regulate smart working and the right to disconnect, expand protections in terms of welfare, parenting and health and introduce a performance bonus.

“After months of waiting, the company closure represents a further critical element just as the organizational and technological transformations would make it necessary to strengthen union confrontation”.

The measures proposed by Microsoft

During the last meeting, held on November 4, Microsoft illustrated an early retirement incentive plan and identified it eleven possibilities for relocation.

For the technical profiles affected by the collective dismissal procedure, the company has also offered the possibility of holding individual interviews with partner companies for access to new job opportunities.

The measures illustrated were deemed “insufficient” by the trade unions, both in terms of relocation prospects and on the economic side, with incentives for exodus which, at present, are worse than those envisaged in the previous procedure.

The position of the unions

Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs they reiterate that any exit from the company must take place exclusively on a voluntary basis and ask for concrete solutions to safeguard employment and enhance the professional skills of the staff involved.

“It is not acceptable that a multinational group with economic results of this magnitude continues to reduce employment, passing on the consequences of its organizational choices and technological transformations to workers. Innovation and artificial intelligence cannot become tools to compress employment, impoverish the professional heritage present in Italy and weaken trade union relations.

We ask Microsoft for concrete answers on safeguarding jobs, adequate accompanying measures and the willingness to open a serious discussion on integrative company bargaining. Negotiation and participation must be an integral part of the transformation processes, not elements to be excluded from company decisions”, declare the three acronyms.

Possible new mobilisations

The organizations reserve the right to announce further mobilization initiatives if satisfactory responses are not received from the multinational.