The article looks at the role of industrial relations along the pork value chain in Italy. Even if this chain is highly fragmented, it plays a key role in the EU market. Over the last thirty years, under growing competitive pressure in the global marketplace, the companies have been looking for possibilities to reduce labor costs in the sector, mainly by recourse to outsourcing. As result, employment, working conditions, and industrial relations have been negatively impacted in terms of high fragmentation and workers' protection. In the light of this, the article firstly describes the critical aspects of the pork value chain. Then it provides a general overview of the Italian industrial relations as well as a more in-depth study of these relations in the pork value chain. Considering the massive use of outsourcing in the sector, an analysis of the legal framework applied to this practice is developed by the article. In order to better understand illegal practice involving outsourcing, a specific case study - The Castelfrigo case - is also taken into account by the authors. Finally, a few final remarks and comments close the article.
Structural characteristics and industrial relations in the pork value chain: the case of Italy
Piera Campanella;
2020
Abstract
The article looks at the role of industrial relations along the pork value chain in Italy. Even if this chain is highly fragmented, it plays a key role in the EU market. Over the last thirty years, under growing competitive pressure in the global marketplace, the companies have been looking for possibilities to reduce labor costs in the sector, mainly by recourse to outsourcing. As result, employment, working conditions, and industrial relations have been negatively impacted in terms of high fragmentation and workers' protection. In the light of this, the article firstly describes the critical aspects of the pork value chain. Then it provides a general overview of the Italian industrial relations as well as a more in-depth study of these relations in the pork value chain. Considering the massive use of outsourcing in the sector, an analysis of the legal framework applied to this practice is developed by the article. In order to better understand illegal practice involving outsourcing, a specific case study - The Castelfrigo case - is also taken into account by the authors. Finally, a few final remarks and comments close the article.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
