The renewal of the contract of doctors and healthcare managers enters a decisive phase. On the table is the draft of the new National Collective Labor Agreement for the Healthcare Area for the three-year period 2025-2027. The proposal developed by Aran, the Agency for the negotiation representation of public administrations, provides for average increases which, considering the different components of the salary, can reach around 380 euros gross per month.
But the text also introduces new protections for professionals who are victims of attacks, including legal aid, psychological support and the possibility of using up to 30 days of solidarity leave given up voluntarily by colleagues.
However, at the moment these are forecasts contained in the draft and not yet definitive provisions. The negotiations between Aran and the unions are still open and the meeting on 22 September should serve to verify which changes can be implemented before the conclusion of the agreement.
Paycheck increases: up to 380 euros gross on average
The economic part is one of the central points of the renewal. 968 million euros have been allocated for the new contract once fully operational, an allocation that should allow an average increase in the fixed salary of medical management of approximately 240 euros gross per month. Added to this component are other resources earmarked for specific allowances. In particular, 362 million euros are foreseen for the specific medical-veterinary allowance, 8 million for the specific healthcare allowance and 15 million for the emergency medical management allowance.
Considering the increase in the fixed part and these additional components overall, the average increase is estimated at approximately 380 euros gross per month. This is, however, an average. The increase actually received by each professional may be different, because some allowances are recognized only to certain categories or to those who carry out specific activities.
And it is precisely on this point that the unions are asking for changes. In fact, one of the requests concerns a greater weight of the fixed and recurring items of remuneration, compared to the components linked to particular tasks or working conditions.
What changes for those who are attacked
Another important chapter concerns the safety of doctors and other healthcare managers. The draft of the new contract aims to strengthen protections for those who suffer episodes of violence during their professional activity. Among the measures envisaged are legal aid, with assistance and cost coverage by the healthcare company, and psychological support.
The innovation that has sparked the most discussion, however, is that of the so-called solidarity holidays. The mechanism would allow colleagues to voluntarily and free of charge give up part of their holidays to the attacked person. The healthcare manager who is a victim of violence could use up to 30 days of these holidays and solidarity rest to continue the recovery period once the period covered by the accident has ended.
The measure is not completely new in the healthcare sector: forms of joint transfer of holidays are already foreseen in the negotiations for some particular situations and the contract for non-managerial staff had already extended this possibility to victims of assaults. The Health Area draft now aims to introduce similar protection for management as well.
Careers and professional assignments
The draft also intervenes on the careers of managers. The system of professional and managerial roles should be made more transparent, with more defined criteria and times for the recognition of skills and experience gained. On the topic of progression, the trade unions also asked for a system of steps linked to seniority, with a first step after three years, a second after five and a third after ten years. However, this is one of the aspects still under discussion.
Among the open questions there is also that of contractual funds and work organisation. The unions have highlighted that the text still requires modifications before it can be signed. The draft also looks at professional development and the use of artificial intelligence, with the need to define rules that also take into account the ethical aspects linked to the use of these technologies in healthcare.
When the new contract arrives
The key point is that the contract has not yet been signed. The text presented by Aran represents a basis for discussion on which the unions are called to formulate observations and requests for modifications. The meeting on 22 September 2026 therefore formally brings Aran and the trade union organizations representing the Healthcare Area to the table, but does not coincide with the signing of the agreement. The president of Aran, Antonio Naddeo, has indicated the objective of reaching the signature by the end of autumn.
