Abstract

The essay is intended as a tribute to Umberto Romagnoli, former director of this journal, focusing on his thought and its relevance nowadays. In particular, through numerous quotes, the author reports the analysis conducted by Romagnoli of the thinking of the first scholars of the 20th century, who focused on the effectiveness of the collective agreement, and concludes by highlighting how a rooted system of industrial relations does not require specific rules, the general principles of civil law being sufficient for this purpose. The reconstruction carried out regarding the evolution of the pecunia-operae contract and the normative production in the field of public sector employment is also examined, to conclude by underlining how Romagnoli’s work demonstrates the importance of knowledge of historical evolution, to understand in depth the legal system of labour law.