Abstract

The paper analyzes the role of decentralized collective bargaining, in order to strengthen the competitiveness on the global market of Italian companies. To this aim, the law, political and social actors should jointly create the conditions of more competitiveness for Italian entrepreneurship. In the reported agreements taken place in Lombard companies and territories, an enlargement to more qualitative bargained issues appears (i.e. working time flexibility, corporate welfare, training), in order to keep high workers' motivation and support the strategic objectives achievement of the company. The level of "Industrial democracy" observed is verified and possible guidelines for the future development of decentralized collective bargaining are verified.