The difficult practice of just transition: Trade unions’ strategy and on-the-ground action in the Italian food industry

Abstract

This article takes a multi-level approach to exploring union just transition policies and their on-the-ground implementation, specifically at company level, within Italy’s food industry, which faces significant green innovations and critical job-quality challenges. The research draws on document analysis and interviews with union officials at national, sectoral and local levels. The findings reveal that, despite favourable sectoral industrial relations institutions, intense price-based competition and the fact that employers exploit gaps in existing labour regulations hinder the ability of unions to effectively implement the desired just transition. As a result, unions continue to confront or experience worsening situations where green innovations are associated with poor job quality.