Trade unions and migrant workers in Italy: Between labour and social rights

Abstract

Immigration to Italy is a recent phenomenon if compared with other European countries. From very early on, the Italian trade unions showed a strong solidaristic and inclusive attitude towards migrant workers and began to act as advocates of migrants’ rights in the labour market and in the society more broadly. Trade union action developed at different levels (for example, national, local, within workplaces) and through different instruments (for example, bargaining, lobbying and service provision). Although inclusive strategies and action still characterize the Italian unions, some criticism have emerged over time. Following the Penninx and Roosblad’s framework, the authors discuss the relationship between Italian trade unions and migrants and highlight continuity and discontinuity with the past, following the transformation of the socio-economic and political context. The chapter relies on first-hand data collected by the authors in relation to different research.