Coping with the crisis in Italy : employment relations and social dialogue amidst the recession

This study on Italy shows that the initial responses to the economic crisis in Italy were designed with the participation of the social partners and focused on supporting small and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs). At the local level, an agreement was concluded between the Government and the regional administrations to strengthen the Wages Guarantee Fund (CIG), a special public fund used to protect workers’ income. The authors contend that the measures were successful in retaining employment and demonstrated the ability to address challenges through social concertation.