Abstract

In the Italian industrial relation system after the Second World War, the most important labour unions, confederations of several trade unions, are traditionally monopolist in bargaining national collective agreements for different manufacturing and service industries. Recently new labour unions are bargaining national collective agreements much less beneficial for workers than collective agreements stipulated by the most important unions. And these "new" collective agreements are applied in some firms by the employers. The object of this paper is to discuss different questions that arise, concerning: the concept of "labour union" (and the "yellow dog" contracts diffusion); the correct meaning and interpretation of constitutional principle that establishes a "fair and adequate" pay for every worker; the rationality of a legal system that grants the employer some benefits if he applies the collective agreement, when more collective agreements exist.