Legislazione della crisi e rinvio al contratto collettivo

The thesis seeks to analyse the change taking place in the sources of labour law, by examining the close relationship between statutory law and collective bargaining. Part I deals with the relationship between these two important sources of labour law. On the one hand, from a static perspective, the relationship between law and collective bargaining is characterised by the principle of hierarchy and the so-called principle of favor: while statutory law provides the minimum framework of protection, collective bargaining can only add to it, in a view of favouring the employee. On the other hand, from a dynamic perspective, the relationship between law and collective bargaining is more complex. In fact, for a long time the Italian legal framework regarding the employment relationship and the job market has been highlighting the importance of collective bargaining. Specifically, several provisions allow collective bargaining to either integrate or modify the legal discipline to the detriment of the worker, aiming at generating a more flexible labour market. Part II of the thesis seeks to shed light on the scope of Article 8 of the Italian Law n. 148/2011. Article 8 was enacted during the financial crisis that affected Italy in 2011-2012, as a result of the negotiations between the Italian Government and the EU institutions, with a view to support the economic recovery and the companies' increase of productivity. Art. 8 allows collective bargaining to derogate to statutory law with respect to the legal protection granted to the worker to the detriment of the latter, in a range of issues nearly encompassing the whole employment relationship's legal regime, with only few exceptions. It represents the point of arrival of a long legislative evolution and it results in a reversal of the traditional framework of the relationship between statutory law and collective bargaining.