Policy considerations EU competition law imposes limits on the scope of collective labour law, as it precludes self-employed workers from collective bargaining . There is a rising number of self-employed workers whose livelihood are characterised by increasing precariousness and whose working... Find out more

Policy implications The Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and the Porto Social Summit have created a momentum for the enhancement of the social dimension of the European Union (EU), but, so far, without much to show by way of innovation. The EU should further expand the... Find out more

In the coming months, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will reach a decision on the case European Public Service Union (EPSU) and Goudriaan v Commission (C-928/19 P), which could be crucial for the future of the EU social dialogue. The EPSU case initially originated from the Commission’s refusal... Find out more

This paper argues that trade unions in Central Eastern European Countries (CEECs) should focus not only on improving formal legislation and its application but also on how the courts are interpreting this formal legislation by engaging in strategic litigation with the aim of fostering a pro-worker... Find out more

This special issue, the third in a series of Transfer issues on ‘the state of trade unionism in Europe’, examines the international activity of European trade unions. Trade unions in Europe today operate in a complex and multi-layered institutional environment, ranging from the workplace, where the... Find out more

Non-financial reporting is the provision by companies of information regarding their policies that have an impact on workers, the environment and society. EU requirements for such reporting are based on Directive 2014/95/EU on the disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain... Find out more

Are foreign multinational companies more or less likely than domestically-owned firms to recognise trade unions and engage seriously in collective bargaining? On the face of it, a multinational company is in a stronger position relative to employees as it can play off one group against another. On... Find out more

Letterbox companies are legal entities set up by businesses to benefit from a regulatory framework in a jurisdiction in which they have little or no material operations. They enable ‘regime shopping’ for lower taxes, wages, labour standards and social contributions, as well as for different legal... Find out more

The European Commission published a consultation document with a view to take legislative action to establish fair minimum wages in Europe. In this policy brief, the researchers argue for a pragmatic approach of taking the ‘in-work-poverty-wage’ threshold of 60 per cent of the national full-time... Find out more

This publication, that consists of unique survey data, gives an insight into the functioning of European Works councils (EWC) from the perspective of employee representatives. It presents the results of the largest survey of EWC representatives conducted to date. The survey documents the opinions on... Find out more