Regulating domestic and care work in Italy: Assessing the relative influence of the familistic model today

Abstract

The domestic and care sector continues to display some problematic aspects due to its complexity, especially in terms of regulation. Italy represents a unique and peculiar case, where domestic and care work remains firmly under the purview of family management, and the work itself is entrusted mainly to immigrant workers. This paper aims to investigate, through in-depth interviews with representatives of both unions and employers’ associations, how the key actors involved in regulating domestic and care work intervene, understanding what kind of measures they take and what systems of relations/exchange exist among the different players involved in this process. The research sought to map strategies at a more macro level. While some of the actions undertaken by the social partners seem promising, there is still a lack of full responsibility for care at the public level, with marked asymmetries with respect to both services provided and working conditions.

Collective bargaining in domestic work and its contribution to regulation and formalization in Italy

“…It will also delve into the regulatory challenges of informal labour markets to shed light on the formalization process in this challenging environment. Hence, this paper contributes to the broader literature on domestic and care work, and informal work, while also enriching the small body of literature on the specific case of collective bargaining in domestic work in Italy (Sarti 2010a;Besozzi Pogliano 2019;Busi 2020b;De Luca 2020;De Vita and Corasaniti 2022).…”

“…This lavoro grigio (literally translated as "grey work") occurs when a worker is classified under the CCNLD in a lower tier (sotto inquadramento), with a lower income level, than they actually work in, or when a worker's number of hours is underreported to avoid social security contributions. In the latter case, the interests of employers and (migrant) workers may conveniently converge, as contributions for a "fictitious" 25-hour working week are enough for the migrant to obtain a residence permit and affordable for the family (Marchetti 2016, 115-116;De Vita and Corasaniti 2022). In surveys carried out by ACLI-Colf in 2007 and 2013, the number of workers for whom contributions were made for all hours worked increased and the number of workers for whom no contributions were made decreased over time, suggesting an overall increase in formalization.…”

La négociation collective dans le secteur du travail domestique et son rôle dans la réglementation et la formalisation de cette activité en Italie

“…Dans ce dernier cas, il peut arriver que l'intérêt de l'employeur et celui du salarié (en particulier lorsqu'il est immigré) convergent: cotiser sur une durée hebdomadaire de travail «fictive» de vingtcinq heures suffit en effet au salarié pour l'obtention d'un titre de séjour tout en restant abordable pour la famille (Marchetti, 2016, pp. 115-116;De Vita et Corasaniti, 2022). D'après des enquêtes menées par l'ACLI-Colf en 2007 et 2013, le nombre d'employés pour lesquels des cotisations étaient acquittées sur l'intégralité des heures de travail était en hausse, tandis que le nombre d'employés pour lesquels aucune cotisation n'était versée diminuait au fil du temps, ce qui est le signe d'une progression de la formalisation.…”

“…Il décrit également les difficultés auxquelles se heurte la réglementation de marchés du travail informels et permet ainsi de mieux appréhender le processus de formalisation dans un environnement aussi complexe. Il se veut donc une contribution aux études portant sur le travail domestique et le travail de soin d'une part et sur le travail informel d'autre part, tout en enrichissant le petit corpus d'études sur le cas particulier de la négociation collective dans le secteur italien du travail domestique (Sarti, 2010a;Besozzi Pogliano, 2019;Busi, 2020b;De Luca, 2020;De Vita et Corasaniti, 2022).…”

Social Innovation in Home-Based Eldercare: Strengths and Shortcomings of Integrating Migrant Care Workers into Long-Term Care in Tuscany

“…The project aims to create new configurations of employment by making access to the financial INPS voucher conditional on formally hiring MCWs, unlike other vouchers and benefits on which the type of employment of care workers has no bearing. Due to high levels of informality in the domestic work sector, promoting its formalisation is of utmost importance since the benefits achieved for domestic workers by collective agreements are only available to those in formal employment [ 51 , 52 ]. Moreover, most of the MCWs hired by families receiving assistance from Pronto Badante are not trained care workers, so the training courses offered by the participating local organisations and the digital courses are vital in the professionalisation of the sector.…”