The Politicization of Labor Action in Italy

• In Event: Labor and Labor Movements Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Roundtable 7: Labor Movements, Protest, and Political Contestation

Abstract

The politicization of labor action — characterized by a growing number of actions targeting the state both as policymaker and as employer, and by the articulation of intertwined economic and political claims — is affecting both some European countries, Asia and Latin America as well as countries where strikes are based on “economic issues” such as the United States. This paper offers an in-depth examination of the politicization of labor action in Italy focusing on the post-2008 wave of labor contention. We argue that the wave of labor actions is linked to the economic cycle - drawing on a historicist and long-term view of collective actions and, more generally, of the industrial relations system. However, the politicization of labor protest also stems from the growing encroachment of neoliberal policies, which have led workers to adopt a defensive stance to protect their rights and working conditions. In this contribution, we will focus on these dimensions and leave economic dimensions in the background.
Using data drawn from a protest-event analysis (PEA) of labor actions between 2008 and 2023 (N=12,928), our findings show that the increasing politicization of labor action requires the explicit consideration of macro-political variables. In particular, the passage of reforms directly affecting labor tends to increase the overall number of protests and of political labor actions addressed against the state in its role of policy maker. Differently from political actions, workplace-based economic actions are significantly influenced by macroeconomic conditions examined, namely inflation, as lower inflation is associated with a higher number of workplace-based labor actions. In turn, rising unemployment is associated with higher levels of institutional mobilization, suggesting that worsening economic conditions push organized actors—particularly unions and formal associations—to seek channels of negotiation.

Authors

• Katia Pilati, University of Trento

• Margherita Sabrina Perra, University of Cagliari