What scope is there for social partner dialogue? The current economic situation remains affected by the Covid-19 pandemic; whether it is directly related to the virus’ variants or the effects of emerging from lockdown.[1] Given these circumstances, the European Commission’s recent activity is positive, even if we may criticise the details. One of the larger…
The emergence and implementation of the Framework Agreement Twenty years ago, on the 16th of July 2002, the European social partners concluded the first autonomous Framework Agreement. The topic of this Framework Agreement, telework, could not be more relevant today. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the principles laid down in this agreement guided…
Brexit has prompted many companies to change strategy and relocate resources and headquarters to European Member States in order to continue operating within the EU perimeter and to maintain access to the common market and all the of the benefits of EU membership. Ernst & Young’s report of 2 March 2021 showed that around 40…
On 25 May, the European Commission presented its proposed package of Country-Specific Recommendations (CSRs), the first since Next Generation EU (NGEU) was adopted. Analysis of the CSRs provides interesting information on the impact of the European recovery strategy on the relationship between the fiscal and macroeconomic policies of the Union and the employment and social…
On 26-27 May 2022, the Nineteenth International Conference in Commemoration of Professor Marco Biagi took place in Modena, Italy, at the Marco Biagi Foundation, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The title of this conference was: “Work Beyond the Pandemic. Towards a Human-Centered Recovery.”[1] I had the pleasure of chairing a panel on “Digital Transformation…
A framework that subtly discourages remote work Making Remote Work a Reality The Covid-19 pandemic precipitated the largest remote work experiment the world has seen. The fact that working from home was mandatory (except for essential work) meant that discussions surrounding how viable it may be were put aside. The best was made of the…
The Great Resignation has been a frequent discussion point in the United States. The following graph from Pew Research outlines the top reasons US workers have left a job in 2021. Broadly we may categorise these as working conditions issues. Aside from pay which is a common consideration, some of the reasons pertain to the…
Protection for Whistleblowers is not a new concept in Ireland, but recent developments both in terms of the legislation and a case decided by the Supreme Court mean that this is topical once again. On the case law front, the Supreme Court late last year issued a very interesting, and what at least appears an…
The example of Belgium In the 1960s, employees were by far the most important category of persons active in the private labour market, who traditionally fell within the scope of protective labour law. However, the world of work has changed dramatically in recent decades, with more and more persons taking on other statuses and a…
The right to disconnect has been one of the most talked about labour topics in recent years at European level. Recently, the topic took the spotlight in Portugal. 1. The Portuguese new bill Law 83/2021, of 6 December 2021, which entered into force at 1 January 2022, amended the Teleworking Framework set forth in the…
