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Trade unions' responses to Industry 4.0 amid corporatism and resistance

Author

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  • Valeria Cirillo
  • Matteo Rinaldini
  • Jacopo Staccioli
  • Maria Enrica Virgillito

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the paths, directions, and ensuing degrees of technological adoption fostered by trade unions or, alternatively, forms of resistance thereof, in the so called 'Italian Motor-Valley', a distinctive technological district located in the outskirts of Bologna, Italy, specialised in the engineering/automotive industry. We find that the introduction of Industry 4.0 technology opens up a new space of action for trade unions in influencing firms' decisions on technological adoption. However, this new scope can have ambiguous effects, depending on how the process is governed. On the one hand, trade unions' involvement in said decisions might end up fostering corporatist tendencies, favouring the alignment of workers' and managers' objectives. On the other hand, such a major involvement can help both recompose old forms of dualism and revitalising workers' role in the crucial issue of work organisation.

Suggested Citation

  • Valeria Cirillo & Matteo Rinaldini & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2020. "Trade unions' responses to Industry 4.0 amid corporatism and resistance," LEM Papers Series 2020/21, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2020/21
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    Cited by:

    1. Cetrulo, Armanda & Cirillo, Valeria & Landini, Fabio, 2022. "Organized Labour and R&D: Evidence from Italy," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1195, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Federico Riccio & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito, 2025. "European regional employment and exposure to labour-saving technical change: results from a direct text similarity measure," LEM Papers Series 2025/19, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    3. repec:osf:socarx:kwxn2_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Valeria Cirillo & José Molero Zayas, 2019. "Digitalizing industry? Labor, technology and work organization: an introduction to the Forum," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 46(3), pages 313-321, September.
    5. CIRILLO Valeria & RINALDINI Matteo & VIRGILLITO Maria Enrica & DIVELLA Marialuisa & MANICARDI Caterina & MASSIMO Francesco Sabato & CETRULO Armanda & COSTANTINI Eleonora & MORO Angelo & STACCIOLI Jaco, 2022. "Case studies of automation in services," JRC Research Reports JRC129691, Joint Research Centre.
    6. Francesca Gabbriellini & Emanuele Leonardi, 2023. "La Just Transition come strategia partecipativa del lavoro: sapere operaio e democrazia economica nella vertenza ex GKN," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(3), pages 53-72.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Industry 4.0; Trade Unions; Organisational Change; Corporatism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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