Housewives and caregivers become “family assistants”: from salary to allowances, which changes with the new domestic work contract

No more maids and caretakers, but “family caregivers“, Framed at different levels according to duties. Plus concessions for those who need to hire a second caregiver for the not self-sufficient and salary increases for those who care for it. These are the main innovations introduced by the new National Collective Agreement for the domestic sector, signed today.

The agreement on the approx. 860 thousand regular workers of the sector was reached between the employers ‘associations (Fidaldo and Domina) and the workers’ unions (Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl, UILTuCS, Federcolf). Workers who reach 2 million if we consider the estimates on the undeclared. Expired in 2016, the new collective agreement will enter into force on October 1, 2020. Satisfaction of signatory social partners that – they declare – “intervenes in a very particular phase for everyone, vexator in the first instance of the pandemic and later by the implications that this has supposed from a socio-economic and financial point of view and, more generally, the welfare of the people. “

They will be called housekeepers, caretakers and nannies “family caregivers“And it will be framed on four different levels according to their competences and duties, looking above all the work of caring for children and non-self-sufficient people. The main distinction is between those who manage the home and those who care for other people. In addition, the figures for trained educators, increasingly essential to take care of new emerging needs.

Concessions will be introduced for families who have dependents who are not self-sufficient and need to hire a second caregiver Chase these people 24 hours a day, six days a week. The provost’s salary increase as of January is 12 euros per month for level B super (which brings the contractual minimum for a person who cohabits a 880 euros per month) but higher wages are expected if non-self-sufficient people, children or the elderly. In particular it is expected an allowance (from 100 euros to almost 116 euros) for children up to six years old. Workers in possession of the quality certification will also be granted an additional bonus of up to 10 euros per month. Regarding vocational training courses, they are introduced 24 additional hours of license dedicated also to 40 already existing.

The new contract reviews the articles referring to individual employment contract (to be formalized with a specific employment letter that contemplates the level, work and weekly rest modality with regard to religious faith), to fixed-term contracts in compliance with the regulations, as well as regarding the trial period and permits also related to the renewal of the residence permit and the completion of the family reunification procedures.

The general secretary of Domina, an association of families of domestic employers, Lorenzo Gasparrini, stresses that domestic work is increasingly becoming care work: in fact, home help decreased (-32.1% since 2012) and caregivers increased (+ 11.5% since 2012), a sign of the aging population in need of assistance. “The new text – he emphasizes – is aimed at a potential audience, counting also undeclared work in the sector (around 58.3%), of 4 million people, including families and domestic workers, and is applied to a sector that produces 1.3% of GDP (18.96 billion euros of added value) “. Among the main innovations – he adds – are found extension of the trial period to 30 days for all cohabitating workers, the monthly allowance of 100 euros for workers of level ‘C super’ or ‘D super’ caregivers of more than one non-self-sufficient person and the only level for babysitters. In the new contract – concludes – we have introduced the value of training, fundamental to give dignity to the worker and greater protection to the family ”.