Abstract

The industrial revolution introduced by Industry 4.0 could potentially affect work organisation and, consequently, the employment relationships related thereto. The push towards automaton, the implementation of smart production patterns, and the combination of physical and virtual technologies could introduce elements that require rethinking work legislation. This paper is aimed at underlying the impact of Industry 4.0 on the Italian labour law in the aftermath of a number of changes linked to the industrial revolution called 'Industry 4.0'. More specifically, the following issues are taken into consideration: employers' power in organising and directing employees, the push towards the valorisation of employee knowledge, and the impact of Industry 4.0 on the labour market, with specific reference to unemployment trends.