The Demise of the National Union in Italy: Lessons for Comparative Industrial Relations Theory

Abstract

Using data collected during field research in Italy on the reorganization of the auto industry, the author analyzes recent changes in Italian industrial relations. Based on this case study, he argues for a new approach to comparative industrial relations research and theory. Instead of treating national systems as the basic unit of analysis and searching for macro-institutional features as the key dimensions to use in constructing comparative typologies of industrial relations systems, the author develops an approach focusing on micro-level developments and the politics of strategic choice to explain variation within nations. Two factors appear to be crucial in explaining this variation: local socioeconomic conditions that shape the strategies of unions and management in firms undergoing adjustment, and the choices unions make in reallocating responsibilities between local and national structures.