Student guide Faculty of Economics A.Y. 2007/08

Students will acquire an understanding of labour law, trade union law and the instruments which regulate the labour market, exploring the legal issues through the day-to-day experiences of the business world illustrated through case studies and examples.

The course is divided into two modules.
The first illustrates the principal topic areas of trade union law, with particular emphasis on the actors who take part in industrial relations and their roles, from a perspective of both the overall historical evolution of collective representation, and the prospected transition of the industrial relations system toward new forms of collective negotiation.

The second module is devoted to the fundamental institutions of labour law which regulate the subordinate employment relationship, from its commencement to dissolution of the contract. Students will examine the problems connected with "parasubordinate" employment, also with reference to the recently introduced new contractual formats. The mechanisms regulating the labour market, and the system of job centres, services for employment and active labour policies will all be illustrated along with some of the most important collective phenomena, such as social safety nets, redundancy lists and unemployment benefits.

1. Trade union law
1.1 Trade union regulations
1.2 Principles and actors of industrial relations
1.3 Exercise of representation through trade union activities; trade union rules for representation and representativeness
1.4 Rights, protection and safeguards in the supporting legislation and in collective negotiations
1.5 Collective negotiation, origins and future prospects
1.6 Status of collective negotiation in Italy
1.7 Shared responsibility and social dialogue

2. Discipline of subordinate employment
2.1 The subordinate employment contract
2.2 Prerequisites for stipulation and essential elements
2.3 Forms of subordinate employment
2.4 Evolution toward new forms of employment relationships within companies
2.5 Course of the work relationship
2.6 Rights to leaves of absence
2.7 Duties, placement assignment level, hours and pay
2.8 Termination of the employment relationship
2.9 The labour market and its regulation
2.10 Job centres, employment services and active labour policies
2.11 Passive labour policies: unemployment benefits, employment-solidarity contracts, redundancy lists

There will be an oral examination at the end of the course.

In addition to the reading materials set during the course, in preparing for the exam students are also advised to study a manual of labour law and trade union law. The following are recommended:
Vallebona, A., Istituzioni di diritto del lavoro, Volume II, Il rapporto di lavoro, Cedam, Padova, 2004.
Vallebona, A., Istituzioni di diritto del lavoro, Volume I, Il diritto sindacale, Cedam, Padova, 2004.

Alternatively, for the part relating to labour law:
Biagi, M., Tiraboschi, M., Istituzioni di diritto del lavoro, Giuffrè, Milano, 2004, 3° ed.

Students may also use other books, but these should be agreed upon beforehand with the lecturers.

NB:
With regard to the labour law manual, in light of the important statutory changes being introduced, students are advised to wait for the reading list supplied during lectures, to be sure of preparing for the exam with an up-to-date text.

In addition to these manuals, students will also be required to have studied the latest version of the legal texts. It is therefore advisable to complement the study of the manuals with consultation of an up-to-date labour code. Specific references will be supplied during the course.


For students who consistently attend lectures, study of the above texts may be limited to the specific chapters indicated by the lecturers in class.