White coats, flags fluttering, whistles blowing, and anger etched on faces. This morning in Cagliari, more than 500 pharmacists from across Sardinia gathered outside the Regional Council building to make their voices heard.
A cry for dignity against Federfarma's decision to unilaterally interrupt negotiations for the renewal of the national collective labor agreement .
The colorful yet determined march is just the first stage of a mobilization destined to grow: further strikes are planned in the coming weeks throughout Italy, culminating in a united national protest.
Leading the mobilization were the sector unions Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl, and Uiltucs Uil, who openly spoke of "arrogance" and "irresponsibility" on the part of the employers.
"The workers who provide essential services every day cannot be treated like numbers," denounce regional secretaries Nella Milazzo, Monica Porcedda, and Cristiano Ardau. "Pharmacies have become a hub for healthcare, but those who work there continue to be ignored."
The collective bargaining agreement expired over a year ago, and in Sardinia, more than 2,000 collaborating pharmacists are waiting for a renewal that seems increasingly distant. Yet their duties have multiplied, especially since the healthcare reform that expanded the role of community pharmacies. Today, in addition to dispensing medications, pharmacists administer vaccines, perform swab tests, perform primary care exams, manage pharmacovigilance, and offer consultations to an increasingly vulnerable population.
Yet, despite this professional evolution, contractual conditions remain stagnant . The latest twist dates back to October 9th, when Federfarma—after having hinted at an opening—backtracked, withdrawing from the negotiating table.
"We're not asking for the moon," the union representatives reiterate. "A €180 raise would be the minimum to recognize the value of pharmacists' work. Denying it would be tantamount to diminishing the skills and responsibilities that ensure citizens' health every day."
And then the union representatives also sound the alarm about the future of the sector : the profession is losing its appeal, and fewer and fewer young people are choosing to undertake this path, due to low wages and uncertain prospects.
"If the contract isn't renewed and those who work in pharmacies aren't valued, we risk emptying the already struggling sector," Milazzo, Porcedda, and Ardau conclude. "We can't afford this: the very survival of the community healthcare system is at stake."
"This is not just your dispute, it's not just a request for recognition for a profession that performs a very important role for Sardinia and the entire country, with professionalism, expertise, and years of study, but it's also our dispute." This was stated by the President of the Regional Council, Piero Comandini, who received, together with the President of the Health Commission, Carla Fundoni, and the majority and minority group leaders, a delegation of pharmacists' union representatives.
"We will do everything we can to support your dispute," Comandini said, also on behalf of the group leaders, "including with Federfarma." President Fundoni also agreed, announcing that, as part of the Health Committee, she will request an increase in the resources needed to support "pharmacies, which are often life-saving devices."