[IER] Latest update on European labour law: An IER Conference

[Carolyn Jones]

Developments in European Employment Law



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Wednesday 04 July 2012


A one-day conference 

Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool 

9.30am – 3.30pm

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About the Conference


The European Union is in turmoil as it lurches from one economic crisis to
the next.  Whatever your views on the EU – and there are many conflicting
opinions – Europe has undoubtedly had a profound effect on workers’ rights
in the UK. But, are the much trumpeted gains of the past now in danger of
being swept away on a wave of austerity measures? Has the balance of forces
within the EU swung too far in favour of finance capital and against
workers’ rights?

In March 2011, the European Council approved the Euro Plus Pact, committing
eurozone countries – plus 6 others – to the introduction of national laws
governing employment. These included reviewing wage-setting arrangements,
removing centralised collective bargaining, ending wage indexing and
rebalancing wage settlements so that “the public sector supports the
competitiveness efforts in the private sector.” 

Other required reforms included removing so-called red-tape from small and
medium enterprises and promoting flexicurity via labour market reforms.
Concrete measures to implement these changes were approved in March 2012 and
our speakers will comment on the social and economic implications of such
measures. 

Other changes in EU regulations and directives look set to continue. The EU
Commission is currently undertaking a ‘fitness check’ of information and
consultation rights to assess whether the EU based rights ‘impose excessive
burdens’ in the context of collective redundancies, information and
consultation rights and TUPE transfers. Already UK Ministers and the CBI are
lobbying to have the EU rights weakened. The TUC on the other hand argue
that UK workers are already easier, quicker and cheaper to sack and that UK
employers are abusing existing weak laws through their use of section 188
notices. 

>From the courts, the European Court of Justice has in recent years inflicted
severe restrictions on the freedom of workers to strike in favour of the
right of employers to free movement of goods and services. Our expert
speakers will review those decisions, assess the likely impact of the draft
Monti II regulations and compare ECJ decisions with the more union-friendly
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. 

We can expect the EU to carry on inflicting UK labour law for some time to
come. This conference aims to update, inform and critically analyse that
influence.

 


Speakers


 

Latest trends in EU Employment Law: an overview 

Dominique Lauterburg, Manchester Metropolitan University

Equal treatment as a general principle of European law

Michael Dougan, Liverpool University

How relevant is European law to collective rights?
Neil Todd, Thompsons Solicitors 

 

Uskmouth Power Station: A Case Study 

Jeff Beck, GMB

Why EU Law means a war on workers 

Linda Kaucher, Researcher on International Trade

The Future of Social Europe and Workers’ Voice Hannah Reed, TUC

 

Where next for European Employment Law?

Simon Dubbins, UNITE International Director

Challenging Europe: a view from the RMT 

Alex Gordon, RMT

 

 

 
<http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/Developments%20in%20European%2
0Employment%20Law%20Liverpool%20Flyer.pdf> Click here to download the full
programme

 

 


Cost                                                      


£75 Subscribers and members

£90 trade unions

£220 Commercial


 


Location


Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool

 
<http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/Booking%20Form%20Devts%20in%20
EU%20Employment%20Law%20Liverpool%204-7-12.doc> Complete and return the
attached booking form

 
<https://secure.gn.apc.org/ier/ledger.php?it=Developments%20in%20European%20
Employment%20Law_Liverpool_2012=£90> Book and pay for your place online now

 

 

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