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Labour and social regulation

Labour and social regulation covers the legal framework and fundamental social rights that regulates industrial relations, employment and social policies across Europe. It includes national, EU and international legislation.  Union labour law has a direct or indirect impact on the normative and functional frameworks of individual and collective labour law systems of the Member States in a relationship of mutual interference and interaction.  Increasingly Union labour laws are also shaped by agreements that the parties voluntarily enter into and by soft law mechanisms.  The reform or modernising of labour law is currently high on the agenda in several Member States.

Topic

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Termin „hübriidtöö“ sai populaarseks seoses kaugtöö levikuga COVID-19 pandeemia ajal, kui ettevõtted ja töötajad hakkasid arutama, kuidas korraldada tööd pärast kriisi. Seda mõistet on üha enam kasutatud, et osutada olukordadele...

25 Mai 2023
Publication
Research report

Eurofound research

Eurofound has monitored legislative developments in industrial relations, working conditions and restructuring in Europe over time and from a comparative perspective across the Member States. The Agency’s work in this area seeks to assist decision-makers to better understand the legal framework for creating policy. It has also put resources in place to assist audiences in understanding the sometimes complex and difficult terminology used.

EU context

This topic covers the legal framework that regulates industrial relations and employment across Europe, including EU legislation and the fundamental labour standards that need to be taken into account.

Legislation is crucial in shaping how Europeans work and live. It is the basis for ensuring better working conditions, equitable labour relations, and equal opportunities for all citizens.

Publications results (81)

This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2020 for 29 countries – the 27 EU Member States, Norway and the United Kingdom. The country reports summarise first evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working life based on national research and survey

23 March 2021

New digital technologies have expanded the possibilities of employee monitoring and surveillance, both in and outside the workplace. In the context of the increasing digitalisation of work, there are many issues related to employee monitoring that warrant the attention of policymakers. As well as

09 December 2020

Developments in information and communication technology (ICT) have been among the key drivers of change in working life over the past two decades. Specifically, telework and ICT-based mobile work (TICTM) exemplifies how digital technology has led to more flexible workplace and working time

02 July 2020

This study examines the interaction between social dialogue practices and human resources management (HRM) policies in European multinational companies (MNCs). It looks at the changing role of HRM and its interaction with European Works Councils (EWCs), which can act as a link between different

16 June 2020

The debate about the posting of workers in the EU, its economic and social consequences, and ways to manage it is hampered by the fact that reliable, comparable data on the phenomenon are lacking. Accurate statistics on the number of posted workers, their characteristics and working conditions are s

20 January 2020

Casual work, both intermittent and on-call, contributes to labour market flexibility and is therefore increasingly used across Europe. In some countries, practices go beyond the use of casual employment contracts to include other types of contracts and forms of self-employment.

20 December 2019

This biennial review charts developments in a range of working time issues in the EU and Norway in 2017–2018. It finds that while the average collectively agreed working week across the EU remains unchanged since 2016 – at 38 hours – there was a slight decrease in the past two years in the 15 Member

03 October 2019

This report – the latest in an annual series – describes the main developments in industrial relations and the regulations affecting working conditions at EU level and in the EU Member States and Norway during 2018. Based on data from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, it presents information

02 October 2019

In most EU Member States, reviews of the statutory minimum wage rates spark a great deal of public interest. Such reviews affect the wider workforce, beyond those workers on the statutory minimum wage. Pay rates in collective agreements may be adapted in response to an increase in the minimum wage

04 June 2019

This report investigates the involvement of the national social partners in the design and implementation of reforms and policies in the context of the European Semester and countryspecific recommendations 2017–2018. In line with previous reports on the same theme, it also analyses the quality of

23 May 2019

Online resources results (793)

Sweden: No signs of lowered entry-level wages in 2016 bargaining round

In preparation for the 2016 wage bargaining round, debates on how to reduce unemployment among low-skilled workers and new immigrants dominated the news in Sweden. Suggestions included lowering minimum wages and introducing so-called ‘simple jobs’. However, the debates had little impact on the

EU-Level: Posted workers proposal gets 'yellow card' from Member States

The future of an EU Commission proposal to revise the posted workers Directive is now uncertain after 10 Member States opposed it. This has triggered a ‘yellow card’ procedure, which will require the Commission to review the text. Employers’ federation BusinessEurope supports the 10 Member States

Greece: The third memorandum’s plans for public administration

The third Memorandum of Understanding for Greece came into force from January 2016, which sets out measures that the government will have to implement before the end of 2018. These include tax policy reform, a more sustainable pension system, and improved management of health sector finances.

The Netherlands: Parliamentary debate on collective bargaining and extension of collective agreements

On 4 February 2016, a parliamentary debate took place initiated by liberal parties VVD and D66 on issues regarding the collective bargaining system and the extension of agreements, which they believe distorts the labour market.

Slovenia: Employers withdraw from social agreement for 2015–2016

Slovenian employer organisations withdrew from the 2015–2016 social agreement at the end of November 2015, after Parliament approved amendments to the law on the minimum wage. Employers said the government had acted unacceptably and arbitrarily in making the changes. Trade unions, however, argue

United Kingdom: Tighter statutory regulation of trade union activities approved by Parliament

The Conservative government’s Trade Union Act was passed in May 2016, introducing more stringent rules for strike ballots and industrial action. It also changes the regulations on union political funds, which could reduce the opposition Labour Party’s income. Opposition from unions and the House of

United Kingdom: Worrying levels of maternity-related discrimination

The results of a large-scale survey show a high prevalence of pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination experienced by mothers in the workplace.

Slovenia: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

The withdrawal of employers from the social agreement, strikes by police and energy sector workers, negotiations for the new public sector wage agreement, and a new collective agreement in the private security sector are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the

Cyprus: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

Increased industrial action, demands for the restitution of lost trade union rights, a new agreement in the hotel sector and changes to fixed-term contracts are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Cyprus in the first

Norway: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

Rising unemployment, the start of the biannual collective bargaining round, a report from the expert committee on working time, and a new report focusing on young workers and sustainable work life are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments


Blogs results (12)
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The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising. Yet, in

27 september 2022
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With the arrival of the month of May, the 2022 European Semester Spring Package is anticipated soon. After a transformative year in 2021, which saw the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under NextGenerationEU, the European Semester cycle has resumed its role as the reference

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Whether it is couch surfing, baby-sitting, pizza delivery or getting Ikea furniture assembled by somebody who can do it better, platforms can mediate all kinds of voluntary or professional services. Platform work is at the heart of the ‘sharing economy’. But while this may sound like a new form of

31 märts 2022
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With its proposed directive on gender pay transparency, the European Commission has significantly bolstered the set of tools for delivering its objectives compared to those presented in its 2014 Recommendation. The proposed portfolio of measures addresses many shortcomings of the instruments that

18 juuni 2021
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The massive and rapid adoption of telework in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns exposed gaps in the legislation governing telework arrangements across the EU Member States. In some cases, there was no regulation in place; in others, it was too restrictive. Governments scrambled to put

31 Mai 2021
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Whatever the benefits of telework – and there are many, including more flexible working time, increased productivity and less commuting – there are drawbacks, as many of the one-third of Europeans who were exclusively working from home during the pandemic will attest. Primary among these is the ‘alw

3 detsember 2020
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Following a sluggish response by many Member States to introduce or modify gender pay transparency measures, as it recommended in 2014, the European Commission intends to table a proposal for EU-level legislation on pay transparency later in 2020. In this context, a new Eurofound study investigated

6 november 2020
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On 2 April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new fund of up to €100 billion to support EU Member States to introduce short-time working or similar schemes, including for the self-employed, in an effort to safeguard jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as SURE

5 Mai 2020
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Up to the start of 2020, recent EU economic and labour market trends were often discussed in terms of the periods before and after the Great Recession. It now appears likely that, in the short- to medium-term, the repercussions of that economic crisis will be dwarfed by the unfolding impact of the

21 aprill 2020

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