Italy: Health and safety law includes tougher penalties for employers

On 1 April 2008, the Italian government approved new workplace health and safety legislation, putting into effect “proxy law” no.123/2007, passed by parliament in August 2007, with the aim of reorganising existing legislation in this area into a single text and strengthening its provisions.

The outgoing minister of labour, Cesare Damiano, expressed great satisfaction with the new law, which trade unions had demanded after a series of high-profile work accidents.