Born in Bari, Italy in 1947
Married - one son
Education
Secondary school diploma
Career
| 1970 | Working for the Viscosuisse in Lucerne, Switzerland |
| 1971 | Shop steward |
| 1972 | Local Secretary of the USS, Canton of Lucerne |
| 1973-1975 | Head of the office for workers’ mobility of the CGIL International Department |
| 1975-1978 | General Secretary of the Chamber of Labour in Matera and CGIL Deputy Secretary for the Basilicata Region |
| 1978-1980 | CGIL Deputy Director of the National Trade Union Training Centre |
| 1980-1985 | CGIL Deputy General Secretary for the Piedmont Region |
| 1985-1988 | National Secretary of the Metal and Engineering Workers Federation (FIOM) |
| 1988-1991 | FIOM Deputy General Secretary |
| 1991-1993 | In charge of the CGIL Collective Bargaining Policy Department |
| 1993-2001 | CGIL National Secretary, in charge of industry, network and infrastructures, agriculture, bargaining policy, economic democracy and tariff policy |
| 2001-2003 | Head of the CGIL European Secretariat |
His interests include literature and sport. His love of literature is not merely passive. He has written four books, one of which won a literature prize. He is a supporter of Inter Milan, as well as a dedicated amateur cyclist.
He was elected Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation at its Congress in Prague in May 2003. Re-elected in Seville in 2007.
