Per una riconfigurazione dell'azione sindacale

The article presents and discusses critically the general approach and main results of the book 'Trade unions in Western Europe. Hard times, hard choices', by Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick and Richard Hyman. Three main critical points are highlighted: 1) current challenges for trade unions in the sphere of worker representation; 2) the new problems that arise when trade unions have to interact with non traditional, not representative types of actors; 3) the possible reconfiguration of trade union role in the globalized economy. An earlier version of this contribution was published in 'Labor History', in 2013.