Il contributo, rielaborato e comprensivo dei rinvii interni all’opera, è destinato al volume M. D'Onghia, M. Trimarchi, F. Di Noia (a cura di), La dimensione sociale degli appalti pubblici, di prossima pubblicazione per l'editore Cacucci.

This paper addresses labour protection in public contracts, focusing on the interaction between law and collective agreements that defines this field. It explores the so-called first-generation social clauses in light of the changes made by the legislator in the two-year period 2023-2024 to overcome certain critical issues related to the pathological proliferation of collective agreements. The analysis then extends to the recent law on wages and its coordination with the Public Contracts Code on fair treatment. The article concludes with suggestions for stimulating discussion on protecting workers and the most effective ways to achieve it."