The internationalization of markets has made businesses both weaker and stronger at the same time: weaker in the markets, faced with new global competition, and strategically stronger with respect to labor representatives.#Despite growing individualization in the relationships between workers and businesses, globalization and economic transformation have not changed the centrality of labor in our economic and social systems, and in many cases representation and collective bargaining continue to play a crucial role in regulation and protection, in Italy more than elsewhere. Public policies are essential to ensure economic and social inclusion. This can take place through the promotion of labor laws and a system of enforcement that thwarts abuse; the introduction of employment services and active policies that stabilize career paths; the creation of income support tools that avoid the poverty trap; and the spread of policies for the economic and social integration of migrants.