Austerity policies, social dialogue and public services in Italian local government

Abstract

This article analyses the effects of austerity policies on local government in Italy. As in many EU countries, local government has been one of the main targets, within the wider public sector, of government policies to address the economic and sovereign debt crises, with a threefold effect: on local government employees, on local government employment relations institutions and practices, and on the provision of local public services. After a general overview of these policies, the cases of two Italian medium-large municipalities are analysed, showing the impact of austerity measures on the employment conditions of municipal employees and on the services provided by municipalities, as well as the influence of social dialogue on this impact. Variations between the two cases are highlighted, conditioned by the locally specific features of employment relations and actors’ strategies.