European Labour Law

'I feel confident that this book will be judged to have made a very significant contribution to the study of European labour law. It fills a particular niche within the rich existing literature by providing a lucid, accessible, and succinct thematic overview of the subject, in much the same way as the author has so successfully done for the study of British labour law in her work on perspectives on labour law.' – Mark Freedland, Oxford University, UK 'EU law, shaped both judicially and at the legislative level, disrupts national labour law – perhaps for good reasons, perhaps for bad reasons, sometimes for reasons which are elusive. Challenges of an intellectual and practical nature confront those trying to pick a path through material accumulated over several decades – and intrigue those thinking about the future of the European Social Model. This book offers an insightful, thoughtful and inspiring account of the nature(s) and purpose(s) of EU labour law and is a hugely welcome addition to the literature.' – Stephen Weatherill, Somerville College, Oxford, UK EU Labour Law is a concise, readable and thought-provoking introduction to the labour and employment law of the European Union. The book explores the subject's major policy themes, examines the various procedures by which EU labour law is made, and analyses key topics such as worker migration, equality, working time and procedures for workers' participation in employers' decision-making. It sets the legal materials in their policy context and identifies the important issues which have shaped the development of EU labour law and are likely to determine its future, including the economic crisis and the debate about fundamental rights in the EU. This accessible yet rigorous book will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate law students, academics and practitioners working on domestic and EU labour and employment law, as well as those with an interest in this increasingly important subject from the perspective of business and management, economics, sociology or politics.

What role will the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights play in the future for labour law in the European Union Member States? How could it affect industrial relations in these states? These are crucial questions to which a group of eminent European labour law professors and researchers seek to offer some answers in their new book European Labour Law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. To recall the story behind the Charter: in December 2000, this text was not enshrined as an integral part of the new EU Nice treaty, but was merely "proclaimed", to the disappointment of many, so that its legal status remained ambiguous. The draft future Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe is clearer, insofar as it incorporates the Charter as its Part II, thereby giving it a binding character - but nobody knows whether, or when, this Treaty-Constitution will actually see the light of day and, if it does, in what shape. Yet now, as the discussions about a future EU constitution are regaining momentum, the European Court of Justice has also had its word on the role of the Charter. It has declared that "the principal aim of the Charter is to reaffirm rights" which are legally binding due to their provenance from other sources recognised by EU law (Case 540/03, European Parliament v. Council, decided 27 June 2006). The thus strengthened Charter includes core labour law and industrial relations provisions, covering matters such as freedom of association, collective bargaining and collective action, information and consultation within the undertaking, fair and just working conditions and protection in the event of unjustified dismissal. The book European Labour Law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is a detailed commentary on the provisions of the Charter which guarantee these and other fundamental rights that are binding upon the EU institutions and the Member States. The commentary throws light on the potential of the EU Charter to shape the future labour law of Europe, an understanding of which is important for labour lawyers and industrial relations professionals, as well as for academics and policy makers in the Member States and in the EU institutions.

Research Handbook on EU Labour Law features contributions from leading scholars in the field. Part I addresses cross-cutting themes, such as the relationship between EU law and national law, the role of human rights in EU labour law, and the impact of austerity measures. In Part II, the contributors focus on topics in individual and collective labour law at EU level, including working time and job security. Finally, Part III offers a comprehensive overview of the EU’s interventions in equality law.

European employment law is becoming increasingly important. Its impact upon domestic law of the Member States in fields such as fixed-term employment contracts, collective redundancies or industrial action, is growing. This volume therefore covers the complete scope of European employment law: its foundations in EU primary law and its various sources in EU secondary legislation, as well as the growing body of case law of the European Court of Justice.00The book begins by providing an overview of the relevant fundamental rights, fundamental freedoms and competences of the European Union in the field of employment law. A systematic presentation of the conflict of law rules in European Employment Law then follows: the Rome I and Rome II-Regulations, the Posting of Workers Directive and the Brussels Regulation on the recognition and enforcement of judgements. Subsequently, the author focuses on individual labour law which, at the EU level, is principally composed of rules on non-discrimination, the protection of safety and health and working time; rules on atypical forms of employment (part-time, fixed-term and temporary agency work) and special groups of employees (mothers, parents, young people); as well as legislation concerning employment protection in situations of collective redundancy, business transfer and insolvency. This is followed by a discussion of collective labour law issues. Particular attention is given to the European Works Council and the rules on employee involvement in the European Company, the European Cooperative Society, and the European Private Company, and to employment law rules contained in the Directive on cross-border mergers.

The vast single labour market of the European Union continues to manifest an ever-increasing interdependence of economies, companies, trade unions and employees, calling once again for an update of Roger Blanpain's magisterial European Labour Law. This Fourteenth Edition remains the preeminent practice guide in its field, covering the full spectrum - legislation, collective agreements, and more than 400 cases - of both individual and collective labour law and practice from the fundamental freedoms to the significance of the Reform Treaty of Lisbon. Among the abundant new material in the Fourteenth Edition the reader will find incisive commentary and analysis of such issues and trends.

European Social Law at a glance The present book sets out – in a concise manner – the social law of the European Union. Apart from core areas of European labour law, the regulation of which is based on the EU’s competence in social policy, it covers notably the numerous rights based one the free movement of workers and other EU citizens, as well as the coordination of social security. Beyond that, the book refers to other fields of EU regulation which are prone to cause conflicts between the member states’ national social law and the relevant EU norms, which remain challenging to resolve to this day. Extensive reference is made to the case law of the European Court of Justice, which continues to have a paramount role in shaping the social law of the EU as it stands. The book is primarily aimed at students confronted with European social law for the first time. Besides, it should constitute a well-structured source of reference for law practitioners in the rising number of cases where EU law is of relevance for national legal practice.

This new edition of EU Employment Law provides a complete revision and update of the leading English language text in the field. The coverage in the new edition has been expanded with material on all the latest developments, incorporating the changes made by the Lisbon Treaty; the EU2020 strategy; the Charter of Fundamental Rights; the 'Article 19 Directives'; the Temporary Agency Work Directive; the revisions to the existing including the Directives on Parental Leave and European Works Council; and the new Social Security Regulations 883/2004. It also analyses the ever-expanding body of employment case law, including the momentous decisions in Viking, Laval, Rueffert, and Commission v Luxembourg. The book begins with an examination of the development of EU employment law focusing on the shift from employment law to employment policy. The text then studies rule-making in the field of employment law, considering both the traditional routes to legislation and governance techniques such as the Open Method of Coordination. The final chapters look closely at the substantive area of employment law, examining the free movement of persons, equal treatment, health and safety and working conditions, the restructuring of enterprises, worker participation, and collective action. Throughout, the book addresses the fundamental question as to the purpose of EU employment law: is it primarily economic, or social, or both?

'EC Employment Law' provides a thorough and authoritative guide to EC law on employment, within a social and economic context. Extensive coverage is given of complex equality caselaw and legislation, and many issues not covered elsewhere are examined.