At the end

That they return to work doesn't necessarily mean they "gave up". The unanswered question: did management make any concessions? This is not revealed. I like to think that management made some sort of compromise, if only on account of the tragic death of Omero. (Remember how they backed down to a degree after the death of Pautasso on the train tracks; they have a concern about their public image.)
The ending leaves me with mixed feelings, and I think that's just right for a movie that is throughout such a mixture -- both funny and sad. One is horrified to see the little boy entering the factory to take his older brother's place. But the election talk is more of an up-note. It's a local election where if their candidate wins, the professor will be pardoned and released from prison. At the end of the film we see Raoul and Adele as much more inspired individuals than they were at the beginning.