Abstract: This report provides an outline of the system of bilateral bodies first set up in Italy in the 1980s to provide protection and income support for workers in artisan firms. Jointly run by employers’ associations and trade union representatives, these bodies provide a forum for dispute resolution as well as a system for administering the employers’ contributions negotiated in collective agreements. The authors argue that bilateral bodies represent an innovative approach to labour protection in small and micro enterprises and provide a useful means for identifying appropriate measures as part of a decentralised approach reflecting the needs of both employers and workers in artisan firms not covered by collective agreements for large-scale industry. Bilateralism is likely to play an increasingly important role pursuant to the labour market reform recently enacted in Italy.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations