European Court of Justice sides against workers

[qtman]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/mheykfaugbsn/

Unions fighting the threat of cheap labour from migrant workers from new EU member states lost a landmark legal battle over equal pay today.

The European Court of Justice said that Swedish pickets who blocked a building site in a protest over lower-paid Latvians doing the same job were in breach of EU rules.

The case was about the right to “import” Latvian pay and conditions into a higher-wage EU member state, and has implications for migrant workers crossing borders in any of the 27 EU countries.

Race to the bottom anybody?

Also similar topic here

http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=29435

Actually, the ECJ has sided with the Latvian workers.

This judgement doesn't relate to the dilution of workers rights with respect to their pay and conditions; it relates to the means which they can employ to protect their pay and conditions.

In this instance, the Swedish Union forced a Latvian firm out of business, which is clearly at odds with the principle of the Free Movement of Labour.

Thats a bizarre interpretation. They ruled against all workers and in favour of an exploitative company.

The Latvian workers are EU citizens in just the same way as the Swedish workers, and have a right to work anywhere in the EU. It is the ECJ's responsibility to protect that right. The Latvian company is also entitled to establish itself in any EU member state, and the ECJ has a responsibility to protect that right too.

As another poster has pointed out, Sweden doesn't have a minimum wage. If it did, this case wouldn't have arisen.

However, your point seems to be that some EU citizens are 'more equal' than others i.e. the EU should protect you if you've had a cushy job for the last 10 years, but if you've been unemployed for the 10 years and are keen to work you should call somebody else.

[adrem]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/mheykfaugbsn/

Unions fighting the threat of cheap labour from migrant workers from new EU member states lost a landmark legal battle over equal pay today.

The European Court of Justice said that Swedish pickets who blocked a building site in a protest over lower-paid Latvians doing the same job were in breach of EU rules.

The case was about the right to “import” Latvian pay and conditions into a higher-wage EU member state, and has implications for migrant workers crossing borders in any of the 27 EU countries.

Race to the bottom anybody?

Also similar topic here

http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=29435

Actually, the ECJ has sided with the Latvian workers.

This judgement doesn't relate to the dilution of workers rights with respect to their pay and conditions; it relates to the means which they can employ to protect their pay and conditions.

In this instance, the Swedish Union forced a Latvian firm out of business, which is clearly at odds with the principle of the Free Movement of Labour.

Thats a bizarre interpretation. They ruled against all workers and in favour of an exploitative company.

The Latvian workers are EU citizens in just the same way as the Swedish workers, and have a right to work anywhere in the EU. It is the ECJ's responsibility to protect that right. The Latvian company is also entitled to establish itself in any EU member state, and the ECJ has a responsibility to protect that right too.

As another poster has pointed out, Sweden doesn't have a minimum wage. If it did, this case wouldn't have arisen.

However, your point seems to be that some EU citizens are 'more equal' than others i.e. the EU should protect you if you've had a cushy job for the last 10 years, but if you've been unemployed for the 10 years and are keen to work you should call somebody else.

I'm with qtman on this one. It is pure protectionism to argue that a local coterie should maintain a stranglehold over labour based on their locally agreed collective bargains. The whole point of the free labour market is that it allows other workers from other states travel and offer their services. I agree absolutely that the local minimum wage must be adhered to and had one existed then this case would not have even gotten this far.

[sackville]

The helps EU facilitate a race to the bottom - to the cheers and backslapping of IBEC types and cod left. how surprising!

[qtman]

The helps EU facilitate a race to the bottom - to the cheers and backslapping of IBEC types and cod left. how surprising!

The "cod" Left?

As opposed to the unelectable "Real Left " with their trade-free, united-in-poverty, union-run utopias?

[sackville]

The helps EU facilitate a race to the bottom - to the cheers and backslapping of IBEC types and cod left. how surprising!

The "cod" Left?

As opposed to the unelectable "Real Left " with their trade-free, united-in-poverty, union-run utopias?

yeah and lot of the workers is really helped by this.