Background and rationale of collective bargaining around work-family issues in Italy. The duality of the business case argument
| Published date | 05 June 2017 |
| Date | 05 June 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-10-2016-0196 |
| Pages | 459-474 |
| Author | Egidio Riva |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations,Employment law |
Background and rationale of
collective bargaining around
work-family issues in Italy
The duality of the business case argument
Egidio Riva
Department of Sociology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to outline and assess the role of industrial relations in introducing
work-family-related policies and investigate the drivers, nature and scope of contract provisions that were
bargained in the following domains: flexible working arrangements, leave schemes, care services and other
supportive arrangements. Analyses draw on information filed in a unique and restricted access repository,
the SEcond-level Collective Bargaining Observatory (OCSEL) held by Confederazione Italiana Sindacati
Lavoratori (CISL), one of the major trade union organizations in Italy.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper presents and examines, by means of descriptive statistics
and content analysis, available information on 285 company-level agreements around work-family-related
issues that were signed in Italy between January 2012 and December 2015, in the aftermath of the
great recession.
Findings –Work-family issues do not seem to be a major bargaining concern. The availability of specific
arrangements is mostly limited to the domain of working time flexibility and it is not quite innovative in its
contents. Besides, there is little evidence that the mutual gains rationale is embedded in collective bargaining
in the field. However, mature and well-established labour relations result in more innovative and strategic
company-level bargaining that is also conducive to work-family-related arrangements.
Research limitations/implications –The sample is not representative. Thus, the results obtained in this
study cannot be extended to make predictions and conclusions about the population of collective agreements
negotiated and signed in Italian companies in the period under scrutiny.
Originality/value –Research on the industrial relations context that lies behind the design and implementation
of work-family workplace arrangements is still limited. Furthermore, the evidence is inconclusive.
This manuscript intends to address this research gap and provide a much more nuanced understanding.
Keywords Human resource management, Family-friendly organizations, Industrial relations,
Workplace-level bargaining, Italy
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Despite some recent developments, work-family issues have not been a major public policy
concern in Italy over the past decades (Blom, 2016; Graziano and Madama, 2011). Social and
family policy has been built on the male-breadwinner household model and the extended
family is still largely expected to provide different kinds of support along intergenerational
lines, from financial to care aid (Naldini and Saraceno, 2008; Riva, 2016). Therefore,
statutory provision for the reconciliation of paid work and family life –in terms of childcare
infrastructure, leave policy and flexible working –is still inadequate, while social,
demographic and economic changes call for a substantial reform of the national policy
framework (Ascoli and Pavolini, 2015). Against this backdrop, and in the light of aggregate
budget cuts in social policy public expenditure, collective bargaining could be a factor for
Employee Relations
Vol. 39 No. 4, 2017
pp. 459-474
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-10-2016-0196
Received 24 October 2016
Revised 26 January 2017
Accepted 10 February 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
The research leading to these results has received support under the European Commission’s
7th Framework Programme (FP7/2013-2017) under Grant Agreement No. 312691, InGRID –Inclusive
Growth Research Infrastructure Diffusion. The author is grateful to Anna Rosa Munno and Uliano
Stendardi for their help in providing access to data.
459
Work-family
issues in Italy
implementing labour market entitlements that may help employees in managing work and
non-work demands. In fact, industrial relations play a crucial role in determining the terms
of the employment relationship and protecting the workforce against a broad set of social
risks (Gunnigle et al., 1998; Ozaki, 1999), and namely, the difficulties in combining work
demands with family obligations (e.g. Baird et al., 2009; Berg et al., 2013; Ravenswood and
Markey, 2011; Rigby and O’Brien-Smith, 2010).
Past research has documented internationally the relationship between organizational
characteristics –such as size, sector, industry, organizational culture and workforce
demographics –and the adoption of family-friendly workplace policy (e.g. Dancaster and
Baird, 2015; Poelmans et al., 2003; Sweet et al., 2014). Some studies focussed on the
influence of the welfare state, labour market legislation and national culture on
organizational provision (Den Du lk et al., 2013; Leyness and Brumit Kropf, 2005;
Kassinis and Stavrou, 2013). Far less attention has been paid to investigate how the
industrial relations framework influences the nature, scope and outcomes of workplace
work-family initiatives (exceptions are: Budd and Mumford, 2004; Gregory and Milner,
2009; Rigby and O’Brien-Smith, 2010; Ravenswood and Markey, 2011). Hence, research on
the industrial relations context that lies behind the design and implementation of work-
family organizational arrangements is still limited. Furthermore, the evidence is
inconclusive (Bardoel et al., 1999; Colling and Dickens, 2001; Wood et al., 2003).
Some studies suggest that trade unions and collective bargaining are relevant for raising
awareness about work-family issues, increasing availability of measures, empowering
employees and thus encouraging the take up of workplace arrangements (Budd and
Mumford, 2004; Ravenswood and Markey, 2011; Wood et al., 2003). However, provision of
work-family entitlements may not be a major bargaining focus: union and employer
concerns and approaches may in fact diverge (Rigby and O’Brien-Smith, 2010). Employers
may not perceive it as a core business issue (Demetriades et al., 2006). Unions engagement
in this policy area may also be low, as a result of several factors such as: a deep-rooted
gender bias in membership and representation; a greater commitment to other
priorities such as pay and employment protection; a preference for state, rather than
employers’, intervention in the field (Hantrais and Ackers, 2005; Haas and Hwang, 2013;
Gregory and Milner, 2009; Osterman, 1995; Seeleib-Kaiser and Fleckenstein, 2009;
Ollier-Malaterre, 2009; Rigby and O’Brien-Smith, 2010; Yerkes and Tijdens, 2010).
This manuscript intends to address this research gap and explore collective bargaining
in the following domains, which possibly lead to an improved work-family balance: flexible
working arrangements, leave schemes, care services and other supportive arrangements,
such as monetary benefits, practical help with childcare, information and training
(Den Dulk, 2001). More in detail, drawing on the information filed in a unique and restricted
access archive, the SEcond-level Collective Bargaining Observatory (OCSEL) held by
Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL), one of the major Italian trade union
organizations, this study examines 285 company-level agreements that were negotiated in
Italy between January 2012 and December 2015 in work-family-related fields and
investigates, which are the key factors that shape their rationale and contents. In doing so, it
contributes to the work-family literature at least in two ways. First, it adds to burgeoning
research that investigates the factors and processes leading employers to secure formal
programs that address work-family problems and offers further insights on the extent to
which workplace provisions are affected by the industrial relations context in which they
occur. Second, this paper focusses on the Italian experience, which has been overlooked so
far. In this regard, findings are important because they shed light on collectively bargained
work-family measures in a country where public support is marginal and employer-based
benefits are scarce (e.g. Esping-Andersen et al., 2002; Greve, 2007). Hence, they may enhance
our understanding of cross-country differences in the provision of work-family entitlements.
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