After introducing the meaning and key dimensions to classify worker participation, the webinar will focus on the direct and representative channels for worker voice, their history, traditional objectives and boundaries. Despite the widespread perception of an incompatibility between these two forms of worker voice (on the one hand, due to fears of marginalisation of worker representatives following the introduction of direct participation practices, and on the other hand due to the alleged irrelevance of direct participation in unionised contexts), they have proved to coexist in many workplaces.

The webinar will therefore show the dynamics of coexistence and relations of direct and representative participation, primarily in Italian workplaces albeit with insights into other European countries, by also considering the different institutional frameworks. It will also consent to explore the distribution of competences between these two forms of voice as well as the areas where they prove to fruitfully interact, and the challenges and opportunities associated with their functional combination.

Ilaria Armaroli is Senior Research Fellow at ADAPT – Association for International and Comparative Studies in the Field of Labor Law and Industrial Relations. She received a Ph.D. in Human Capital Formation and Labour Relations at the University of Bergamo (Italy). Within the framework of her Ph.D. experience, she worked as action researcher at a local branch of an Italian metalworkers’ federation (FIM-CISL), in a view of developing her research project in English language, focused on the role of trade unions as promoters of direct employee voice within traditional businesses. Her research focus is specifically related to industrial relations, trade union representation and employee voice. Thanks to her propensity to field research, she has developed experience in getting along with workers’ representatives and cooperating with them. She has an international profile, since she has been working in 12 research projects co-funded by the European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion), by producing articles and reports in fields of industrial relations and social dialogue, organising and delivering training activities for trade unions and coordinating and relating with international consortia of partners. She is member of the Editorial Board of the ADAPT International Bulletin.