Hello and welcome to ETIP podcast, Voices on the World of Work.

I'm your host, Bianca Luna Fabris, and in this episode we will focus on transfers latest issue on COVID-19 and the World of Work.

The issue has been coordinated by today's guest, David Natali.

He is professor in EU and comparative politics at the Santana School of Advanced Studies in Pisa.

Hi, David. Thank you so much for being with us today. I have a question for you that could

actually set the tone for the entire episode. In a few words, just in 30 seconds, can you tell us what

the whole issue is about? The issue is about COVID-19, is about the pandemic and its impact on the world of work

and welfare in Europe, meaning basically what is the impact or the expected impact on labor and

social rights. In that respect, I would say, as you have seen, the literature in the last couple of

years on the COVID-19 and its impact

in Europe has been quite massive. A widespread analysis in social sciences on the peculiar

aspects of the pandemic and its first impact in our own societies and political institutions. But to be honest, I think there was a blind

spot in that literature, and this was precisely on the world of work. So what does the pandemic

means or has meant for the labor market, for the workers, for their own rights and their own position in the labor market.

And in that respect, I think that the special issue does quite a good job,

addresses a lot of issues related to the kind of policy change, the kind of stability

or, let's say, possibility to really change and alter the status quo.

And basically, you know, what has meant in terms of improving social rights, reducing social

rights, been consistent with the neoliberal paradigm that has been dominant in the last

decades or if there has been any opportunity for

at least some first change.

Right.

...