This volume includes a number of papers written in English and published in the last fifteen years in which the Italian labour market faced many changes. The book not only provides the international readership with a frame of reference – in both conceptual and legal terms – that helps to appreciate the Italian Labour Law currently in force, but also represents a contribution to moving beyond the self-referential nature of the Italian debate on the reform of labour laws. As such, the book supplies the reform process of the Italian labour market with an international and comparative dimension which – in accordance with the programmatic approach of Marco Biagi – will also feed the debate at the national level.

How have employment relations evolved over the last decade? And how did workplaces and employees fare in the face of the longest recession in living memory? Employment Relations in the Shadow of Recession examines the state of British employment relations in 2011, how this has changed since 2004, and the role the recession played in shaping employees' experiences of work. It draws on findings from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study, comparing these with the results of the previous study conducted in 2004. These surveys – each collecting responses from around 2,500 workplace managers, 1,000 employee representatives and over 20,000 employees – provide the most comprehensive portrait available of workplace employment relations in Britain. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the changes made to employment practices through the recession and of the impact that the economic downturn had on the shape and character of the employment relationship.

At the core of all societies and economies are human beings deploying their energies and talents in productive activities - that is, at work. The law governing human productive activity is a large part of what determines outcomes in terms of social justice, material wellbeing, and the sustainability of both. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that work is heavily regulated. This Handbook examines the 'law of work', a term that includes legislation setting employment standards, collective labour law, workplace discrimination law, the law regulating the contract of employment, and international labour law. It covers the regulation of relations between employer and employee, as well as labour unions, but also discussions on the contested boundaries and efforts to expand the scope of some laws regulating work beyond the traditional boundaries. Written by a team of experts in the field of labour law, the Handbook offers a comprehensive review and analysis, both theoretical and critical. It includes 60 chapters, divided into four parts. Part A establishes the fundamentals, including the historical development of the law of work, why it is needed, the conceptual building blocks, and the unsettled boundaries. Part B considers the core concerns of the law of work, including the contract of employment doctrines, main protections in employment legislation, the regulation of collective relations, discrimination, and human rights. Part C looks at the international and transnational dimension of the law of work. The final Part examines overarching themes, including discussion of recent developments such as gig work, online work, artificial intelligence at work, sustainable development, amongst others.

As the successor to Smith & Wood's Industrial Law, this book maintains its reputation for both comprehensive coverage and lucidity of presentation. With a new and improved structure and layout, the ninth edition maps closely onto courses in employment law, providing an invaluable resource to students of this complex and fast-moving subject.

This book charts the path to revitalisation for trade unions in Australia, the USA, the UK, and Italy. It examines the examples of innovation and digital campaigning that are enabling unions to build new forms of worker power – and overcome decades of declining membership wrought by neoliberalism, globalisation, and hostility from employers and the state. The study evaluates the responses of unions in each country to falling membership levels since the 1980s. It considers the US 'organising model' and its adoption in Australia and the UK, comparing this with the strategies of Italian unions which have been more deliberately focused on precarious and migrant workers. The increasing reliance of US unions on community alliances, as seen in the 'Fight for $15' and similar campaigns, is scrutinised along with new union prototypes like Hospo Voice in Australia, the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain and SI Cobas in Italy. The book includes an in-depth analysis of union responses to the gig economy in the four countries, and the emergence of self-organised worker collectives to combat this exploitative business model. The vital role played by unions in defending the interests of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic is also examined. As well as highlighting the most successful union initiatives to meet the challenges of the past 30 years, the book assesses the strengths and deficiencies of the legal framework for union representation in the four nations. It identifies the labour law reforms needed to rebuild collectivism, but argues that more is needed than favourable laws. This cross-national study provides a rich basis for identifying the combination of reforms, strategies and linkages required to ensure that unions can remain relevant for a new generation of digitally-active workers.

This glossary, one of the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the development and current status of labour law and industrial relations issues, including globalization and international labour standards. It provides cross-references between international labour standards, European Union Directives, resolutions and regulations. Definitions from the public domain are taken from legislative and specialized texts dealing with international standards and institutions in general. The glossary explores the most relevant issues surrounding the global debate on the social dimensions of globalization and includes entries on current achievements, debates, ideas and programmes, as highlighted in the 2004 Report of the Director-General on the World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization, "A Fair Globalization:The role of the ILO".

This monograph investigates current issues in labour law enforcement from a socio-legal perspective. It analyses how local Italian enforcement actors promote the protection of workers in Prato – a city that in recent decades has seen a significant influx of Chinese migrants who run small workshops as part of the local clothing industry. Many of the Chinese firms in Prato fail to live up to core labour standards, such as maximum working hours, health and safety at work and payment of social security contributions. The book analyses the strategies and practices employed by three local enforcement actors (labour inspectors, labour unionists and a new type of labour law consultant) in their efforts to assist Chinese firms in improving their level of labour law compliance. Combining documentary, interview and observational data, the book applies theories of legal culture and legal development to address the interaction between law and society. It focuses on the operational aspects of law by asking three interrelated research questions: How do local enforcement actors promote the protection of workers in Chinese firms in Prato? Which tools are employed, and which rationalities drive the initiatives? The book thereby sheds light upon processes of legal cultural adaptation, informing ongoing international and national debates about what can actually be done to combat contemporary gaps in the protection of workers.

No detailed description available for "Current Issues in Labour Relations".

This new and extensively updated edition of Introducing Employment Relations draws on the most up-to-date research and contemporary examples to help students develop their knowledge, understanding and critical assessment of the main issues relating to employment relations. Essential reading for undergraduates and postgraduates studying employment relations, human resource management, and business studies, Introducing Employment Relations contains a wealth of features designed to prompt students to critically reflect on how employment relations are regulated, experienced, and contested by organizations and employees; collectively or individually. Facilitating learning and prompting lively debates, such features include case studies, reflective segments, international perspectives, insights into practice, summary points, and end-of-chapter assignment and discussion questions. Whilst maintaining a critical focus to draw out the contemporary debates surrounding employment relations, this text is written in a lively, engaging and accessible style. This book is supported by a range of online resources, including: For students: Annotated web links Web case studies Updates to content relating to legislation, research, or policy Video links For lecturers: PowerPoint slides Case study guide A guide to end-of-chapter questions A guide to web cases

This book examines the role of law in regulating and influencing the lived experiences of posted workers in Europe. The ‘posting’ of workers is an unusual type of labour mobility, where workers are hired out to provide a specific service in another country. Although it involves a specialised area of law, it is one that serves as a magnifying glass for the long-standing tension between the economic and social dimensions of law’s regulatory role. As an atypical form of labour migration, posting also touches upon broader themes concerning the role and purpose of labour law in a changing world of work. Taking up these themes through interviews with posted workers, lawyers and employers, the book adopts a sociolegal approach to consider how the law shapes the precarious lived experiences of posted workers in Europe. Giving voice to those with first-hand experience, the book goes on to propose solutions that might address the precarity of posted work. This book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and practitioners working in the areas of labour law, sociolegal studies, EU law, and migration.