Ateneo - UPO

The course is divided into two parts, with the first part exploring advanced topics in labour law and the second part exploring advanced topics in industrial relations. The initial focus will be on the analysis of the principles and legal provisions specific to the industrial relations system. The examination will concentrate on current issues relating to trade union representation and representativeness, collective bargaining and strikes (Part I – Industrial Relations Law). The subsequent sections of the text will explore specific topics within labour law, with particular reference to the structural aspects of the employment contract, the integration of work into business organisation, the impact of technology on the employment relationship, and the regulation of employment relationships within sustainable businesses (Part II – Employment Contracts and Business Organisation).

The relevant study materials for each lecture will be posted on the course's DIR page.
Students who attend class can study using their lecture notes, which are supplemented by materials provided by the teacher and slides.
For students not attending:
For Part I, students are required to study: M. Persiani and V. Maio, Diritto Sindacale (Giappichelli, 2025), paragraphs 1–18, 21–25, 28–33, 38–59 and 67–78.
For Part II, students are required to study the following essays, which will be uploaded by the instructor to the course’s DIR page:
1. M. Marazza, 'Limiti e tecniche di controllo sui poteri di organizzazione del datore di lavoro', in Id., M. Martone (a cura di), 'Contratto di lavoro e organizzazione', in Trattato Carinci-Persiani, Padova, 2011, pp. 1271 ff.
2. M. Peruzzi, 'La discriminazione algoritmica', Equal, 2024, pp. 7 ff.
3. M. Biasi, 'Problema e sistema nella regolazione lavoristica dell'intelligenza artificiale: note preliminari', in Federalismi, 2024, pp. 162 ff.
4. P. Lambertucci, 'Identità religiosa e rapporto di lavoro: a proposito dei simboli religiosi nei luoghi di lavoro', in Riv. It. Dir. Lav., 2025, p. 243 ff.
5. G. Proia, 'Gerarchia e mercato nelle trasformazioni dell'impresa', in Mass. Giur. Lav., 2026, pp. 140 ff.

This advanced course provides tools and techniques for understanding and analysing labour law and industrial relations. The first part focuses in depth on trade union law, while the second part analyses specific aspects of labour law at national, European and international levels that reflect current issues in labour regulation, , which can be explored in greater depth than is possible in the standard Labour Law course.
The course provides the essential knowledge and skills required for designing, implementing and evaluating human resources management strategies while maintaining a balanced focus on corporate values and workers' rights and freedoms at individual and collective levels. The course also aims to equip students with the ability to examine the various topics covered in the programme with a command of technical and specialist language, conceptual autonomy and a critical mindset.
The course is worth 6 CFU, corresponding to a total of 150 hours of coursework. Of these, 45 hours are devoted to in-person instruction, including lectures and interactive sessions; the remaining hours are devoted to self-study, through individual study of the required texts and materials made available on the DIR platform.

General propaedeuticities apply.

The course is delivered primarily through lectures, which are supplemented by the analysis of legislative texts, collective agreements, case law, and additional study materials.
Students will be encouraged to participate actively through guided case discussions and examinations of interpretative issues, as well as discussions on legislative documents and jurisprudential rulings. Sessions will also be dedicated to summarising key points and self-assessment.
Supporting materials such as slides, articles, court rulings, legislative texts and collective agreements may be made available on the DIR platform. These materials are supplementary and are intended to aid understanding of the topics covered, acquisition of specialist vocabulary and development of practical skills.
While attendance is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended as it enables students to develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter, the method of analysing sources, and the practical application of the issues addressed during the course.

Students are invited to refer to the course page on DIR for supplementary lecture material as well as the detailed syllabus.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The assessment consists of an oral examination covering the entire course syllabus. It is designed to evaluate students' understanding of the fundamental principles of trade union and employment law, their capacity for systematic analysis, their proficiency in technical legal language, their ability to construct arguments, and their aptitude for applying acquired knowledge to legal problem-solving. The examination is usually made up of several questions relating to different parts of the syllabus. At least part of the examination will assess knowledge of industrial relations law and employment law. Questions may also concern the interrelationship between legal principles, the interpretation of legislative sources, the analysis of case law trends and discussion of cases or practical application issues.
To pass the examination, students must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the subject's fundamental concepts, as well as the ability to use correct legal language and an appropriate presentation style.
To achieve a mark above the pass mark, students will need to demonstrate a more confident ability to make systematic connections between the various parts of the programme, as well as a greater command of sources and case law. They will also need to show that they can analyse information critically and apply their knowledge to legal cases or problems.
The highest marks will be awarded to answers that are comprehensive, well structured, technically accurate and rigorously reasoned, demonstrating independent judgement, critical awareness and a full command of the specialist technical language.
The grade for this course, together with the grade for the course Human resource localization strategies, contributes to the determination of the final grade for the entire course (Labor law, industrial Relations and human resource localization strategies). The final grade is expressed on a scale of 30 and is determined collectively by the instructors in proportion to the credit weight of each individual grade, using the weighted average method.

The subject of the course will be trade union and employment relations law and, in particular: - for Unit I (Trade Union and Industrial Relations Law): the function of trade union law; trade union freedom; trade unions and business organizations; trade union representation in the workplace; the collective bargaining agreement; the structure of collective bargaining and the relationship between different bargaining levels; counter-union behavior; strikes and lockouts. - for Unit II (Employment contract and business organisation): the function of the employment contract and the obligation to work as a subordinate; the impact of technology on work performance: remote work, employee privacy and the employer's power of control through technological tools; algorithmic management models; sustainability and legal issues of retribution; disability and work (c.d. disability management); anti-discrimination protection, with special attention to gender equality. Integration of the gender dimension: one lesson will be entirely focused on the relationship between the principle of equality and gender discrimination provisions, from a historical perspective, in order to provide students with an overview of measures to support and protect female workers in the context of the employment relationship

By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of the fundamental concepts and specialised topics in labour law and industrial relations covered during the course. They will be able to apply their knowledge to resolve concrete legal problems related to the course topics. They will be able to confidently find their way through the relevant legislation, reconstruct interpretive solutions, and assess whether the choices made comply with the constraints imposed by the legal system. They will therefore be able to critically evaluate and independently resolve the main legal issues that may arise in the management of employment relationships and in dealings with labour unions. As employees, they will understand their rights and obligations. As human resources professionals and/or employers, they will be able to design and evaluate innovative and effective personnel management strategies that are consistent with legal constraints.
They will therefore be able to use technical and specialised language appropriately, present topics with conceptual clarity and rigorous reasoning, and demonstrate their ability to connect concepts and issues from different areas of the subject. Finally, they will acquire the methodological tools necessary to update the knowledge and skills acquired during the course by consulting relevant regulatory sources, collective bargaining agreements, case law, scholarly works and institutional documents.