Skriv utWhat’s on?
On this page we will shortly inform about some of the things that has been done in order to fulfill the objectives of the Work Programme.
Flexicurity
An issue of great importance right now is the matter of the increasing demands for flexibility in the labour market, and what effects this will have for the social security of the workers. Unsecure working conditions do not only affect the situation of the employee at the workplace, but also the possibilities to get a loan, find an appartment etc. Flexibility can be a good thing though, for employees who are qualified and easily can get an employment.
The European Commission has initiated discussions concerning flexicurity and has also published a green paper on changes in labour law. The issue is also discussed in Nordic IN.
Flexicurity
- a Danish trade union view, by Jens Bundvad, CO-industri
NFS: Comments
on Flexicurity
Viking and Laval - the right to take industrial action vs. freedom of establishment / to provide services
In two much discussed cases, Viking and Laval/Vaxholm, the European Court of Justice gave judgements concerning wether the right of a trade union to take industrial action restricts in an inappropriate way the freedom for a company to establish within the European Union or to provide services.
In its rulings the court has made clear that the right to take industrial action is a fundamental right, which in some cases may restrict freedoms protected by the rules of the European Union. This can be the case if the aim of the industrial action is of common interest, for example to protect workers. The Court did however judge the two cases differently in that aspect. The Viking and Laval cases are now transferred back to the national courts for final judgment.
See below for more information about the rulings of the European Court of Justice, as well as the statement from BusinessEurope.
The
courts judgement in the Laval case in whole
Short information
of the Viking case
The
courts judgement in the Viking case in whole
The Laval and the Viking Case
(slides)
Workers from abroad
Foreign employees working in the Nordic countries are becoming more and more common, and hence the Nordic trade unions are facing new challenges.
This is a matter that has been discussed by the network on Collective Bargaining.
One of the Norwegian trade unions, Fellesforbundet, has produced
special information for workers from other countries. In the home page
of Fellesforbundet this information can be found in eight different
laguages. Similar information has been produced by the Swedish trade
union
IF Metall.
Home
Page of Fellesforbundet with information for workers from abroad
Collective Bargaining Summer School
In the EMF Collective Bargaining Summer School there are continuing discussions about the development of the EMF policy on Collective Bargaining. In the Summer School of 2007, which was carried out in September, the discussions concerned matters like the result of the EMF common demand on training, flexicurity and the Commission Green Paper on labour law. as well as the internal EMF procedure to conclude transnational agreements at company level.
Informal reports on collective bargaining
Some of the affiliates of Nordic IN report informally on the agreements that have been reached. Some of these reports are in English (but not all).
Links to these reports can be found by using the link below. The most recent report is on the top. For more information about a special agreement, look at the home page of the trade union in question, or contact its delegate in the network on Collective Bargaining.
Informal
reports by collected links (some in English)
Eucoban - information about collective barganing
The three European trade union federations EMF, EMCEF and ETUF-TCL produce annual reports on the results of the collective barganing in the affiliated unions. For more information about Eucoban and these reports - contact the European federation in question.
About Eucoban
at the web site of EMF
About Eucoban
at the web site of ETUF-TCL
About EMCEF
- see Links International federations
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