The collective voice of unions and workplace training in Italy: New insights from mixed methods

Abstract

Using a three‐phase approach that combines quantitative (pooled OLS, fixed effects and IV) with qualitative (semi‐structured interviews) analyses, we find that in Italy, workplace unions are more likely to enhance training when they sign a firm‐level agreement and when they can get access to external funds for financing. We also identify three channels: what we call a ‘maturation effect’, double‐track communication and watch‐dog function. We argue that these results are consistent with the idea that the impact of workplace unions on training depends on the empowerment of its collective voice within an institutional framework that does not fit either of the standard models provided by collective and liberal market economies.

Green transition and industrial relations at workplace: Evidence from Italian firms

“…The interest in the Italian case study relies on the consideration that this country is the second largest manufacturing country in Europe and that manufacturing, with respect to services, is a sector more populated by energy-intensive businesses (hard-to-abate companies). At the same time, Italy also features an old tradition of collective bargaining mediated by unions that has been mainly investigated from the industry-level perspective, which is the first level of bargaining (Berton et al 2023). Our evidence related to the second-level agreements (at firm and territorial levels) indirectly shows that unions favour decentralised negotiations when they are triggered by green investments.…”