KEY People TINA ANSELMI Tina Anselmi was born in Castelfranco Veneto in 1927 and died in the same place in 2016. She played an active role in the Resistance, and, after the war, she became a teacher. After being active as a trade unionist, she started her political career in 1959. In 1976 she became the first Italian female Minister of Labour and Social Security and worked on important laws on equal opportunities for men and women. In 1978 she became Minister of Health and in this period the law that established the National Health Service was approved in Parliament. Her role was fundamental in the creation of a system of healthcare which aimed to provide comprehensive and equitable healthcare, an essential step for the country s welfare state. GINO GIUGNI Gino Giugni was born in Genoa in 1927 and died in 2009 in Rome. He was a prominent Italian jurist and politician, a central figure in the history of labour in Italy. His major achievement and his legacy are linked to Law 300/1970, the Workers Statute. In fact, Giugni, who at the time was the Minister of Labour and Social Security, was the main contributor to the writing of the law. The Workers Statute is a fundamental milestone in Italian legislation. It introduced fundamental principles such as the freedom of union association at the workplace, protection against unfair dismissal, the right to information and consultation, and rules that guaranteed the dignity and freedom of the workers. This led to more democratic labour relations and to a more significant role of the trade unions. In addition to his political commitment, Giugni also had a brilliant academic career as a professor of Labour in several Italian universities. His studies and publications have significantly contributed to the development of labour law doctrine. His balanced vision and his deep knowledge of the dynamics of the labour world made him an authoritative and respected personality in both academic and political circles. ROSY BINDI Rosy Bindi was born in Sinalunga, near Siena, in 1951. She started her political career with the Christian Democratic party and later became its President. She was Minister of Health from 1996 to 2000 and is responsible for the so called Bindi Reform , a reform concerning the National Health Service, which reorganised the whole system by strengthening public hospitals and decentralised structures. The reform focused on decentralisation and the introduction of market-based mechanisms to improve efficiency and quality care. However, its implementation faced challenges and debates over the role of the State in healthcare. Moreover, towards the end of her mandate, she permanently closed the last psychiatric hospitals, a process started by the Basaglia Law in 1978. dismissal: licenziamento to strengthen: rafforzare 304 SOCIETY HELPS trade unionist: sindacalista