By Giulio Piovaccari

MILAN (Reuters) – Italian unions representing workers at Stellantis, Ferrari, Iveco and CNH Industrial will demand a pay rise of more than 8% to be paid in 2023 to help cover soaring energy and food bills, a source said close to the file. Wednesday.

“This is the demand we will make of companies, to recoup the purchasing power that workers are losing this year due to inflation,” the source said, after two different sources said on Tuesday that unions would ask an increase of at least 6.5%.

Europe’s cost of living crisis is putting upward pressure on wage inflation as businesses across the continent grapple with workers’ demands to cushion the impact of rising prices. Consumer prices rose 8.9% year on year in Italy in September.

Unions will present their formal proposal on Monday for a new four-year contract for Italian employees, including pay rises, to carmakers Stellantis and Ferrari, truck maker Iveco and agricultural and construction machinery maker CNH Industrial.

The current contracts expire at the end of this year.

The exact size of the request could change as it is being discussed with all the unions involved in the talks from Monday, the source said.

“Discussions will follow with the companies, let’s see what the outcome is,” the source said.

The sources declined to be identified because the process is confidential.

Stellantis, along with brands such as Fiat and Peugeot, announced last week that it would offer a one-time bonus worth up to 1,400 euros ($1,394) to most of its employees in France to help them make in the face of soaring inflation.

He also brought forward wage negotiations in France to December, originally scheduled for early next year.

($1 = 1.0039 euros)

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; editing by Josephine Mason, Lisa Shumaker, Kirsten Donovan)