ADAPT LABOR STUDIES BOOK SERIES

Sixteenth issue:
The Value of Work and its Rules between Innovation and Tradition. ‘Labour is not a Commodity’ Today
Editors: Anthony Forsyth, Emanuele Dagnino and Margherita Roiatti
Date of Publication: November 2020
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
The global challenges resulting from economic, demographic, ecological changes have led individuals to evaluate the advisability of creating new work identities, adopting a perspective based on social justice and sustainability. In this sense, this book examines the ways and the means through which the principle “labour is not a commodity” has been developed and the practical implications thereof. It will serve to help academics and practitioners in a number of fields to understand the ongoing socio-economic changes and the impact of globalisation today, and to analyze the role of public institutions and private stakeholders operating in the context where this principle is implemented.


Fifteenth issue:
Legal Issues in the Digital Economy. The Impact of Disruptive Technologies in the Labour Market
Editors: Valeria Filì & Federico Costantini
Date of Publication: July 2019
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
It is a matter of fact that technological innovation is deeply impacting on our culture, society, economy and labour
market. The massive and widespread use of Artificial Intelligence and the strengthening of the collaborative
economy (also known as ‘gig’ or ‘platform’ economy) are blurring the traditional legal categories and creating new
requirements for protection for employed and self-employed workers. This book represents a tool to understand
where we are and where we are going, focusing on old and new legal categories and labour market policies. The
chapters included in this volume cover different disciplines, such as legal informatics, labour law, social security
law, civil law, and tort law, in order to offer scholars and legal specialists an overall view of ongoing changes,
challenges and opportunities from a European Union law perspective.

Fourteenth issue:
Labour Law and Welfare Systems in an Era of Demographic, Technological, and Environmental Changes
Author: Michele Tiraboschi
Date of Publication: July 2019
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
The book discusses how labour law and welfare systems will be affected by the ongoing transformation of work.
The first section considers demography from two different perspectives. On the one hand, it focuses on chronic
diseases and their impact on work, emphasising the role and the regulation of welfare systems. On the other,
attention is given to youth unemployment and to those forms of employment which might have an impact on young
people. Section II touches upon the relationship between the environment and industrial relations, while the third
part broaches the topic of the impact of technology in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known
as Industry 4.0. As such, this volume provides an exhaustive picture of the changes currently underway,
considering all the aspects which will affect work now and in the future.

Thirteenth issue:
Trade and Labour Standards
Author: José Luis Gil y Gil
Date of Publication: December 2018
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
Mega-regional agreements have recently stirred controversy, producing a clash between the founding principles of liberalisation and protectionism, giving rise to competence issues between the European Union and its Member States. Although scholarly work has focused for years on the controversial “social clause”, it is now worth carrying out a detailed, legal analysis of the labour standards contained in the mega-regional trade agreements adopted and negotiated by the EU and the US. The topic gives rise to much controversy, as it is influenced by political convictions and election results. For this reason, it poses one of the most significant challenges to international labour law. Based on these considerations, this book examines the social dimension of three of the most relevant mega-regional trade agreements, namely TTP, CETA, and TTIP. It is argued that trade liberalisation should be accompanied by progress in the social and labour field.

Twelfth issue:
The Evolution of the Industrial Relations System in the Italian Shipbuilding Industry
Author: Alberto Sasco
Date of Publication: August 2017
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
This book provides an in-depth analysis of how industrial relations in Italy’s shipbuilding sector have developed over recent years, taking Fincantieri – the leading and most well-known Italian shipbuilding company – as a case study. To this end, an investigation of relevant literature and collective agreements is carried out to understand how national and company-level collective bargaining has evolved over time.

Eleventh issue:
Labour in the 21st Century Insights into a Changing World of Work
Editors: Katherine Stone, Emanuele Dagnino, Silvia Fernández Martínez
Date of Publication: December 2016
Table of Contents:

0417672_labour-in-the-21st-century_300
Several major transformations have characterized the world of work in recent years. Those transformations follow different patterns in different countries, yet their dynamics are so interrelated that it is often hard, if not impossible, to distinguish the causal relationships among them. Technological advances, globalization, old and new media, demographic changes, and new production and economic systems are all key factors acting on this ongoing transformation which is impacting both the world of work and society as a whole. In the spirit of Karl Polanyi, the well-known scholar who described the rise of market-based societies, we are led to wonder if we are witnessing a new “Great Transformation of Work”, on such a scale that it might change the very meaning of work in our society, and even its anthropological connotations. Accordingly, this volume investigates and discusses the different aspects of this transformation from a comparative perspective. In order to propose better solutions to cope with these changes, it is necessary to analyze their ongoing dynamics. Lawmakers, unions, scholars and practitioners are all called to do their part in order to achieve the goals of sustainability and fairness of our economic systems.

Tenth issue:
Work-Life Balance and the Economic Crisis: Some Insights from the Perspective of Comparative Law (Volume I and II)
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Lourdes Mella Méndez, Lavinia Serrani
Date of Publication: November 2015
Table of Contents: Vol. I – Vol. II

0134937_labour-law-in-russia_300
No one can deny the significance attributed to the issue of reconciling work and private life by contemporary society, the EU and other international organisations. Its relevance is evident in the multifaceted nature of this topic and the need for each party to the employment contract to strike a proper balance between professional and personal responsibilities, based on the assumption that people can successfully harmonise their work with life. Following on from these considerations, this volume provides a detailed analysis of work-life balance and its regulation in a number of EU countries, emphasizing the consequences that the current economic crisis has brought about in this field.

Ninth issue:
How Global Migration Changes the Workforce Diversity Equation
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Massimo Pilati, Hina Sheikh, Francesca Sperotti, Chris Tilly
Date of Publication: April 2015
Table of Contents: 

0134937_labour-law-in-russia_300
This volume explores some of the ways that a dialogue between diversity researchers and migration researchers can deepen the understanding of both. It moves across economics, sociology, political science, labour relations, and legal studies, demonstrating that the value of this dialogue cuts across disciplines. The book particularly underlines the challenges faced in host societies, including exclusion to the point of “hyper-precarity,” anti-migrant attitudes, and the widespread organizational indifference to the importance of diversity management. It also points the way to possible solutions, including exemplary corporate and public sector diversity management programs, proactive trade union engagement with the incorporation of migrants, legal reforms to mitigate exclusion and facilitate integration, and the political choices that could move these solutions forward. As such, this volume offers a broader understanding of the issues of workforce diversity that will help stimulate further research, as well as action to confront the challenges and diffuse solutions.

Eighth issue:

Labour Law in Russia
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Vladimir Lebedev, Elena Radevich
Date of Publication: December 2014
Table of Contents: 

0134937_labour-law-in-russia_300
Russia’s transition towards a market economy in the early 1990s called for new approaches to the regulation of employment relations in the post-Soviet period in order to strike a balance between employers’ interests and employees’ rights in changed conditions. The adoption of the Labour Code of the Russian Federation (LC RF) in 2001 contributed to solving the issue only partly, as, in reality, it was passed as a compromise between different political forces, and consists of both provisions which can be implemented in the new context of the market economy and restrictions inherited from the planned economy. The recent and ever-changing socio-economic conditions, and the increasing complexity of the employer-employee relationship, which is a result of both globalization and technological progress, required the further development of Russian employment legislation. This resulted in substantial amendments being made to the original LC RF in 2006, with the majority of its provisions being profoundly revised. Nevertheless, a thorough analysis of the changes currently under way shows that many aspects concerning employment relations have still not been addressed sufficiently. The papers collected in the present volume of the ADAPT Labour Studies Book Series consider the recent developments of the legal regulation of employment relations – as well as some closely related aspects – from a historical and comparative perspective, in order to provide some insights into these issues and to examine current challenges.

Seventh issue:

Youth and the Labour Market in Romania
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Cristina Lincaru, Vasilica Ciucă
Date of Publication: May 2014
Table of Contents:


In order to improve the quality and efficiency of youth employment, this book examines the cases of the Romanian labour market and of youth employment performance. Recent developments in the labour market participation of young people indicate an accentuation of labour market segmentation and a decrease in job security for young people, with the risk of exclusion and marginalization, fuelled by longer transition processes towards decent employment. This transition may seem clear when one looks at two aspects: education and employment. The challenge the transition towards employment presents is faced by all, regardless of one’s level of education, as employment security is uncertain. The situation young people find themselves in when they finish school and have no job opportunities is a rather delicate one as society offers no “safety nets”. This book, as well as others in the ADAPT Labour Studies Book-Series, explains the challenges young people deal with while playing a vital role within the community they live in. As Kafka has been quoted as saying, “Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old”. Therefore, young people, and those young at heart, perform an integral role in society, and they must be well integrated to enable their successful engagement within their communities.

Sixth issue:

Tackling Youth Unemployment
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Morley Gunderson, Francesca Fazio
Date of Publication: February 2014
Table of Contents: 

0066249_tackling-youth-unemployment_300
Youth have always had higher unemployment rates—about twice or more than the average—as they are usually the last to be hired in an expansion and the first to be let go in a recession. In addition, young people engage in extensive job searching in their early years, and this can imply considerable job churning as both youth and employers look for a good match. This highlights the importance of facilitating the school-to-work transition and having early interventions to assist such youth before negative conditions set in. It also highlights the potential importance of determining those young people most “at risk” of long-term unemployment, and of targeting or streaming them into programmes that will yield the largest incremental net benefits given their characteristics. Unemployed youth without previous work experience often are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits when they first enter the labour market. When they do receive job search assistance, they often face a bewildering array of programmes that are available to assist them, often with little guidance to help them select the programs that best meet their needs. Consequently, ensuring that today’s youth do not become a “lost generation” is an urgent matter. George Bernard Shaw once said that it is too bad that “youth is wasted on the young”, implying that youth do not realize the opportunities they have as youth and only see them as they get older. There is a danger, however, that many of today’s youth may be never have those opportunities and hence not even see them with hindsight. This book and others in the ADAPT Labour Studies Book-Series are intended to deal with these challenges, to make sure that youth is not wasted on the young.

Fifth issue:

Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Recessionary Times: The Italian Labour Relations in a Global Economy
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Michele Tiraboschi
Date of Publication: December 2014
Table of Contents: 


This volume includes a number of papers written in English and published in the last fifteen years in which the Italian labour market faced many changes. The book not only provides the international readership with a frame of reference – in both conceptual and legal terms – that helps to appreciate the Italian Labour Law currently in force, but also represents a contribution to moving beyond the self-referential nature of the Italian debate on the reform of labour laws. As such, the book supplies the reform process of the Italian labour market with an international and comparative dimension which – in accordance with the programmatic approach of Marco Biagi – will also feed the debate at the national level.

Fourth issue:

Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Working
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Malcolm Sargeant and Martina Ori
Date of Publication: Aug 2013
Table of Contents: 


The papers presented here originated at a wonderful conference held at Middlesex University in London attended by experts on the subject of vulnerable workers and precarious work from all over the world. The aim of tis volume is to examine different aspects of these topics, showing the need for developing further research in connection with these areas of study.

Third issue:

Youth Unemployment and Joblessness: Causes, Consequences, Responses
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Alfredo Sánchez-Castañeda, Lavinia Serrani and Francesca Sperotti
Date of Publication: Sept 2012
Table of Contents: 


Youth unemployment and joblessness are major issues for national governments and international organizations across the globe. In this respect, the school-to-work transition challenge is increasingly raising the interest of companies, education and training institutions, families and young people themselves, who are often involved in precarious and illegal forms of employment, in many countries of the world. In the field of industrial and labour relations, the school-to-work perspective seems particularly suitable for policy formulation and assessment: the broad and complex range of tools, strategies and policies for enabling youth training and their access to the labour market is deserving of a closer analysis at an international level in a time when jobless recovery threatens national economies. The ADAPT LABOUR STUDIES BOOK-SERIES has in connection been set up with a view to achieving a better understanding of the causes, consequences and possible responses to the issue in a global dimension through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach.

Second issue:

Labour Regulation in the 21st Century: In Search of Flexibility and Security
Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin, Michele Tiraboschi
Guest Editors: Tomas Davulis, Daiva Petrylaitė
Date Of Publication: Feb 2012
Table of Contents: 


The economic crisis has highlighted major shortcomings in the EU flexicurity strategy which, although suitable to tackle structural unemployment in a period of economic growth, it proved unable to stand the impact of the recession, which requires specific measures to maintain employment. Against this background, the authors of the present papers, which were presented at the International Scientific Conference “Labour Market of the 21st Century: Looking for Flexibility and Security”, on the occasion of the 370th Anniversary of the establishment of Vilnius University’s Faculty of Law, that took place on 12–14 May 2011, investigate the development of labour regulation in the 21st century, with particular reference to the relation between flexibility and security and to the need to strike a balance between these two elements. The contributions address the issue in a comparative and transnational perspective and provide some insights into the development of national models of flexibility and social security.

First issue:

Productivity, Investment in Human Capital and the Challenge of Youth Employment
Editor: Series Editors: Tayo Fashoyin and Michele Tiraboschi;
Guest Editors: Pietro Manzella and Lisa Rustico
Date Of Publication: Sep 2011
Table of Contents: 


From an international and comparative perspective, young people’s access to the labour market is a complex issue with certain contradictory aspects reflecting the level of development of labour law and industrial relations in their respective countries. In the most advanced economies, there has been a steady increase in the age at which young people exit the educational system and enter the labour market, giving rise to significant economic and social problems. The increase in levels of educational attainment is associated in some cases with an alarming rate of unemployment among those with academic qualifications, while employers encounter considerable difficulty in recruiting workers for unskilled and semi-skilled positions. The economies of developing countries, on the other hand, are characterized by different trends, reminiscent of the early stages of modern labour law, with the large-scale exploitation of young workers and children, many of whom join the flow of migrants towards the more highly developed regions of the world, with the consequent risk of impoverishing human capital in the country of origin. The ADAPT Labour Studies Book-Series has in connection been set up with a view to achieving a better understanding of these and other issues in the field of Labour and Employment relations in a global dimension, through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach.