The Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies designs, implements and coordinates measures for labour policy and the development of employment, the protection of labour and the adequacy of the social-security system and social policies, with particular regard to prevention and reduction of conditions of need and adversity among individuals and households.
Some of the Ministry's main areas of responsibility are:
- verification of employment relationships and industrial relations; supervision of institutions relating to employment relationships; archival of national collective contracts and agreements; management of the right of consultation;
- application and monitoring of the implementation of legislation concerning health and safety in the workplace; supervision of implementation of provisions governing compulsory occupational accident and occupational illness insurance and domestic accident insurance; promotion and circulation of instruments for prevention and best practices in the field of information and communication for the prevention of occupational accidents and illnesses;
- preliminary review for the performance of the guidance functions of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies with regard to active labour policies and policies concerning the National Network of Labour Policy Services; management of Italian central government budgetary resources allocated to the National Agency for Active Labour Policies and the regions to cover the operating costs of Employment Centres;
- the definition of the rules for redundancy programmes, wage supplementation benefits, social employment insurance, unemployment and redundancy benefits and the related contribution aspects; management of obligations for income support for employees of maritime fishing companies that have suspended work;
- implementation of social-security and insurance policies; high-level supervision and guidance regarding supplementary pension schemes;
- policies for the fight against poverty and for social planning; coordination and application of the laws on social-security benefits provided by social-security agencies, with particular regard to pensions, the social allowance and disability benefits; implementation of the citizenship income and citizenship pension, performing the functions of information, promotion, consultation and technical support service; implementation of the rules governing the Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator (ISEE); definition of policies for young children and adolescents and for the protection of minors and repression of child labour;
- integration and immigration policies; planning of flows, management and monitoring of entry quotas for foreign workers and bilateral cooperation with the countries of origin; coordination of activities relating to the protection of foreign minors; promotion and coordination of humanitarian interventions in Italy and abroad attributed to the Ministry; coordination, with the role of secretariat, of the activities of the operating table for defining a new strategy for fighting gangmaster activity and the exploitation of workers in agriculture;
- promotion and support of activities carried out by third sector entities and those in favour of social companies, including implementation of the reference legislation; responsibility for the keeping of the Single National Third Sector Register (RUNTS); supervision of the National Organisation for Supervision of Volunteering Service Centres (ONC) and the Social Italy Foundation.
Finally, the following are handled through two Directorates-General, with transversal commitments across all the Ministry's areas of operation:
- organisation and recruitment of personnel, implementation of innovative solutions with reference to the conditions of employment service, promotion and guarantee of organisational wellbeing; survey of training needs, with management of training activity aimed at developing professional skills of personnel and managing relations with the National School of Administration; planning and management of the budget in terms of revenue, cash flow and assets;
- planning, development and management of institutional information and communication activity; preparation, in concert with the entities in direct collaboration with the Ministry, of the annual communication plan; publishing and technical management of Web and intranet portals; management of the office of the treasury of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies; assurance of general services for the functioning of the administration; responsibility for the logistics of the offices of the Ministry and management of the related rental expenses; development of digitalisation projects for the transition to digital operating methods.
Specifically, the operational structure of the Department, updated by Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers No. 140 of 24 June 2021, consists of a Secretariat-General and ten Directorates-General (Art. 1 of the Decree).
In particular, the Secretariat-General of the Ministry, as established by Art. 3 of the Decree of the President of the Republic No. 57 of 15 March 2017, which remains in effect, "ensures coordination and unity of administrative action, carries out preliminary investigation for the preparation of guidance and programmes for the Ministry and coordinates the Ministry's offices and activities."
Inspections are carried out by the National Labour Inspectorate (INL). Established in September 2015, following the entry into force of Legislative Decree No. 149/2015, as the Single Labour Inspections Agency, the INL incorporates the inspection services and related activities, previously carried out by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, INPS and INAIL.