Between Berlusconi And Monti: Trade Unions And Economic Crisis In Italy

The recent labor reforms implemented in Italy by the so-called "technocratic" Monti Government have challenged the traditional role of trade unions. On one side, the reforms in the pension and labor market have been approved without real consultation or bargaining with social parties, under the pressures from the financial and economic crisis and the austerity demanded by the EU central authorities. On the other side, the Government is urging trade unions to contribute to stimulating labor productivity in order to produce more growth and escape from such a long period of recession. The main aim of this article is to analyze the changing role of trade unions and then the real opportunities to open a new phase of social concertation, also taking into account the historical background of Italian industrial relations