Labour law

The Norwegian labour market parties have, during spring 1997, been commenting on the proposed principles for a revision of the Labour Dispute Act. The committee which reviewed the Act proposed a strengthening of the confederations' position with regard to collective bargaining. Although the

Following a proposal by the Finnish Ministry of Labour, the Council of State has appointed a committee, due to report by October 1997, with the task of evaluating the need to reform the Employment Contracts Act. The committee is to take into account developments that have taken place in society

Spanish trade unions and employers' organisations recently agreed on a major labour market reform. The three objectives of the "April agreements" of 1997 are to reduce the instability of the labour market, to promote collective bargaining, and to plug the gaps in sectoral regulation that were left

Tourism is one of Austria's major industries, contributing an estimated 10% of the GDP. There are about 70,000 businesses with a turnover that has recently stabilised at about ATS 180,000 million. Employment is about 142,000 on annual average, or roughly 5% of the national total. In the peak season

"Negotiate a reduction of working time - or else public opinion will force through legislation". That was the message in an article written jointly by Prime MinisterGöran Persson and the chair of the Swedish Metal Workers' Union, Göran Johnsson, and published in the evening paper /Aftonbladet/ on 28

Luxembourg's Economic and Social Council has recently responded to a government request for its opinion, with a view to reforming the Law of 12 June 1965 relating to collective agreements and of the Grand-Ducal Order of 6 October 1945 dealing with the National Conciliation Office (Office National de

The annual report of the Labour Inspectorate (Arbeitsinspektion) for 1995, has now become available to the public after debate in parliament. The Arbeitsinspektion's activities are regulated by the 1993 Labour Inspection Act (Arbeitsinspektionsgesetz, ArbIG). This stipulates that the Labour

In France, regulation of the working week is based on a piece of legislation passed in 1936, which laid down a work schedule spread over five days. Decrees on the application of this law made special provision, in each sector, for the way in which these hours would be organised. The one concerning