The Selected Papers in this volume, written over a period of some 20 years, represent just a small part of Marco Biagi's scientific writings, and are reprinted here with a view to showing the range, depth and originality of his research work. While many of his papers dealing with labour relations issues in the Italian context were published in Italian, Marco's long association with Johns Hopkins University and Dickinson College, along with his close links with the leading scholars in comparative labour law and industrial relations not just in the member states of the European Union, but also in many other countries, including Japan, were of fundamental importance for his work, and as a result he chose to publish many of his most thought-provoking papers in English. What emerges from a reading of these papers is the integrity and consistency of his thinking: themes that appear in his early work, such as industrial democracy, employee participation, training for flexibility, the role of small and medium-sized enterprises, and innovative strategies for creating new jobs and improving the quality of work, are further developed in the later years. He always wrote with a sharp eye on changes in the labour market arising from economic, social and political developments, such as most recently the introduction of the single currency, and always with a view to extending the benefits of employment opportunities beyond the existing limits. His ideas will continue to play an influential role in thinking about employment issues for many years to come.

As global power relations increasingly favour international capital, it becomes crucial for labour and employment lawyers to centre their field in a supranational context. As long as wages, social security, and taxes remain national matters, states compete at this level in order to attract foreign investment. This does not bode well for employees or the self-employed. Most ameliorative measures come in the form of unenforceable soft law guidelines and recommendations. The conference recorded in this vitally important book confronts this losing battle of local responses to global challenges. The book reprints the papers submitted to that conference by twenty-three outstanding scholars from fourteen countries.Among the many critical issues they expose and discuss are the following: the proliferation of varieties of non-standard employment; protection of migrant workers' rights by regional organizations; global and regional trends in the human resources function; work training and education policy; effectiveness of equality and non-discrimination standards; involvement of employees in workplace decision making; and the need for an equitable social safety net.In the course of the discussion, the authors examine cases from many countries, including not only EU Member States (both West and East) and the U. S., but also Japan, Chile, South Africa, and Indonesia. With a focus on the nexus of multinational enterprises and international standards, the book provides both a sharp image of where labour law stands in today's world revealing serious social problems in a clearer light than is usually encountered and a very valuable guide to directions to pursue and potential solutions, offered by some of the most engaged and committed minds in the field. It is an indispensable resource for legal workers in this eye of the storm of globalization.

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.