Gli effetti della liberalizzazione del trasporto pubblico locale sulle relazioni industriali : Regno Unito e Italia a confronto

This article examines the extent to which a number of hypothesised consequences for industrial relations in the context of liberalisation have been realised, such as a strengthening of managerial prerogatives and unilateral actions, the emergence of specific competitive pressures on labour costs, work flexibility and worker protections, the fragmentation of collective bargaining with an emphasis on company-level regulation. The sector selected is local public transport and in particular the bus industry. In the article the ownership structure of the bus industry, its regulatory and labour relations features are discussed in the context of government-initiated reforms in the UK and Italy. Evidence from empirical research conducted in both countries will then be presented and discussed in the conclusions.