European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
47
In the case of a transfer of business or part thereof, in companies staffed with more than 15 workers, the information and consultation procedure contained in article 47 of law no. 428/1990 should be complied with in order to protect workers’ collective interests. The notice of a transfer of business or part thereof shall be provided 25 days before the legal act finalising the transfer becomes effective. It has to mention:
The unions are involved insofar as the company has to inform the works councils ('Rappresentanze Sindacali Unitarie', RSU) or company works councils ('Rappresentanze Sindacali Aziendali', RSA) about the transfer of business, as well as the sectorial unions that have signed the collective labour agreement applied by the companies involved in the transfer. In case there are no RSA, the company (or its representative association) is obliged to inform the comparatively more representative sectorial unions.
Within seven days, trade unions can ask for a joint examination with the employers; consultation is considered to be concluded should an agreement not be reached within 10 days.
The law clearly states that an anti-union behaviour is to be found not only if information obligations are breached, but also if the company and the trade union have not carried out the joint assessment procedure.
Trade unions note that, in some cases, business transfers could be used as a way to impose worse working conditions or to prepare the ground for collective dismissals of the workers being moved.
Eurofound (2015), Italy: Staff information and consultation on business transfers, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/staff-information-and-consultation-on-business-transfers/italy
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