MILAN -- Italian unions representing workers at Stellantis, Ferrari, Iveco and CNH Industrial will ask for a wage increase of at least 6.5 percent for 2023 to help cover soaring energy and food bills, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Europe's cost-of-living crisis is putting upward pressure on wage inflation as companies across the continent face demands from workers to cushion the impact of rising prices.
Consumer prices rose 8.9 percent year on year in Italy in September.
Unions will present on Monday their formal proposal for a new four-year contract for Italian employees, including for salary increases, to Stellantis, Ferrari, truckmaker Iveco and agricultural and construction machine maker CNH Industrial.
The current contracts expire at the end of the year.
The sources declined to be identified because it is confidential.
An increase "of at least 6.5 percent would allow workers to recover lost purchasing power" after they got a 2 percent salary increase this year under the existing deal, one of the sources said.
The exact size of the request may change as it is under discussion with unions involved in the talks starting on Monday, the source said.
The second source said the request could be larger than 6.5 percent.
Stellantis said last week it would provide a one-off bonus worth up to 1,400 euros ($1,394) to most of its employees in France to help them cope with surging inflation.
It also brought forward salary negotiations in France, initially scheduled for the start of next year, to December.
