European labour law

European labour law sets rules about jobs and working conditions in the European Union and other places that follow the European Convention on Human Rights. These rules help make sure workers are treated fairly and can share ideas at work. They are part of the European social model, which tries to balance growing economies with good treatment for workers. Unlike in places like the United States, European countries have different levels of job protection and benefits, but they all work to keep standards that help workers.

The European Union can make laws in some areas of labour under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, article 153(1). However, it cannot make rules for wage regulation or collective bargaining. The EU creates rules for things like individual rights at work, anti-discrimination regulations, being informed about workplace decisions, and job security. EU laws set a minimum level of rights, and each country can choose to give workers even more benefits.

The main idea of labour law is that workers and employers do not have the same power when making agreements, so there need to be special rules to protect workers. These rules help people earn a living and fully take part in society. The European Union’s approach comes from ideas in the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers 1989, which was part of the Treaty of Maastricht. This means workers across Europe have important rights that cannot be taken away.

History

The idea of letting people work in different European countries began with the first European Economic Community agreement. Over time, rules about work rights grew slowly. In 1956, a report said men and women should be treated the same, even if work rules weren’t the same everywhere.

Later, people saw that without good work rights, companies might move jobs to places with lower wages, which isn’t fair.

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union lists what the European Union can do to help workers. It focuses on safe workplaces, good working conditions, helping workers who lose jobs, and making sure workers have a say in what happens at their jobs. It also aims to treat everyone equally and help those who find it hard to get work.

Labour and human rights

See also: ILO Conventions, UK labour law, German labour law, French labour law, and United States labor law

European labour law helps make sure that people who work in the European Union have fair rights and good conditions. It sets basic rules so that all countries in the Union can keep their workplaces safe and fair. These rules help protect workers and make sure they are treated well, no matter where they live or work.

The law includes important ideas like getting a written contract when you start a job, having enough rest and holidays, and getting time off when you have a baby or need to care for someone. It also makes sure that workers are safe and healthy at their jobs. These rules help make life better for everyone who works hard in Europe.

Collective representation

See also: Codetermination and Collective bargaining

The European Union (EU) doesn’t make laws about group talks between workers and bosses. But it must follow rules from the European Court of Human Rights about freedom to join groups.

When a company chooses to follow EU rules instead of its country’s rules, workers still need to have a say in how things are run.

Big companies must let workers choose people to talk about important issues. There are special rules to help workers have a voice across different countries.

Even though the EU doesn’t make laws about group talks, courts have said that workers have the right to work together. They can even stop working if needed, as long as it’s fair. This can sometimes clash with rules that help businesses grow and move around.

Equality

The European Union has rules to make sure everyone is treated fairly at work. These rules help protect people from unfair treatment based on things like gender, race, religion, age, or disability.

Laws like the Race Equality Directive 2000, Equality Framework Directive 2000, and Equal Treatment Directive 2006 say that everyone should be treated equally, no matter if they work full-time, part-time, or on a temporary basis.

These rules also help people who don’t have regular, full-time jobs. The Part-time Work Directive 1997, Fixed-term Work Directive 1999, and Temporary Agency Work Directive 2008 say that part-time, temporary, or agency workers should get fair treatment, like proper pay and working hours, even if their job isn’t permanent.

EU law Court of Justice Kücükdeveci v Swedex GmbH & Co KG Race Equality Directive 2000 Equality Framework Directive 2000 Equal Treatment Directive 2006 Part-time Work Directive 1997 Fixed-term Work Directive 1999 Temporary Agency Work Directive 2008 TAWD 2008 Part-time Workers Directive Temporary and Agency Work Directive

Job security

Minimum job security rights are provided by three important rules. These rules help workers know what to expect if their jobs change or their company has problems.

When a company plans to cut jobs, there are rules about how much notice workers must get and how they should be told before changes happen. If a workplace is sold to a new company, workers keep all their rights and pay unless there is a very good reason not to. If a company cannot pay its debts, there are rules to make sure workers still get the money they are owed.

The European Union tries to help create jobs and good working conditions, but it does not control money directly. Instead, it works with countries to share ideas and support better rules for workers.

Gig economy legislation

In December 2021, the European Commission made new rules to help gig workers. These rules want to make sure gig workers earn enough money and can get sick pay, holidays, and basic job rights. When this news came out, the stock prices of companies like Deliveroo, Just Eat Takeaway, and Delivery Hero went down.