Italy's Intesa eyes four-day working week in energy-saving move

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo is discussing with unions a four-day working week for its 74,000 staff in the country - the first such move by a major Italian employer.

Shortening the working week would help Intesa curb its electricity bills at a time when European businesses are wrestling with sky-high energy costs.

Intesa would give employees the option of working 36 hours a week spread over four days, instead of the current 37.5 hours over five days, earning the same salary, a spokesperson for the lender said.

"We're discussing something that is already envisaged by the national contract for the banking sector. It's not like Intesa invented this. We are in no rush, let's see how discussions evolve," FABI union leader Lando Sileoni said.

"If we get to an agreement it can't be just up to the company whether to grant it or not, and it can't be all about energy costs which are being shifted onto the worker because the days are four instead of five."

Sileoni, who heads Italy's biggest banking union, urged other lenders to follow Intesa's lead and hold similar discussions.

The idea of shorter working weeks has been debated for a while and gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, with supporters arguing it could help boost productivity.

(Reporting by Valentina Za and Alvise Armellini; editing by David Evans)