Tag results for 'collective bargaining'

Union consultation goes digital amid renewed debate over traditional principles of union recognition

Recent Italian case law decisions spanned from considering the impact of increasingly digital workplaces on trade union rights to re-examining traditional union representation and recognition principles. In two 2026 decisions the Court of Cassation clarified that digital consultation methods may satisfy statutory obligations, provided that substantive participation is preserved. Together, these rulings reflect a consistent judicial approach: procedural forms may evolve, but the core functions of representation and collective negotiation must remain intact. Running in parallel, the Constitutional Court’s October 2025 ruling on Article 19 of the Workers’ Statute reshaped the criteria for workplace union recognition by rejecting exclusive dependence on company‑level bargaining participation as the sole gateway to RSA status and grounding representation rights in objective measures of union national representativeness.

Released on May 4, 2026

The Nokia case: ‘genuine collective purpose’ and the future of enterprise-based representation

This article examines the Israeli National Labour Court’s ruling in the Nokia case, focusing on the legal definition of a ‘workers organisation’. The decision rejects recognition of an internal, enterprise-based committee, emphasising the requirement of a genuine collective purpose. The Court held that a body upholding individual employment agreements as primary cannot qualify for recognition. The article places this reasoning within broader transformations in labour markets, where hybrid models of representation are emerging. It argues that the ruling highlights an unresolved tension between traditional collective bargaining frameworks and evolving employee preferences for more flexible, individualised forms of collective representation.

Released on Apr 29, 2026

Beyond tradition roles: examining the role of trade unions as a key stakeholder in business and governance

When one hears of a trade union in the Indian context, one is often reminded of an overbearing political intervention in the affairs of the union, limited understanding of union leadership as regards business requirements and work responsibilities and slow-paced legislative reforms in bridging the gap between the actual and the expected role of unions. This article presents a picture of the above challenges and an opportunity to revisit the role of trade unions and see them as an important component of corporate governance.

Released on Sep 9, 2024