European Court of Justice sides against workers

[MacCoise]

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

[MacCoise]

http://euobserver.com/9/25359

More details and analysis.

That was a pretty admirable social model the Nordics once had.

[woodie]

It is a surprising and disappointing judgment particularly given the Advocate-General's previous opinion the other way.

From what I've read the ECJ confirmed the ruling of the Viking case that using collective action, including blockading all company sites, to limit the right of establishment is legal under EC law. That's to be welcomed.

It did find however that the Swedish unions actions in this particular case were 'disproportionate', particularly in view of the fact that Laval were being asked to sign up to wage negotiations of 'unspecified duration'. If the Swedish system was clearer, the ruling might have been different?

The ruling will have to be studied carefully, and it does appear to signal the start of EU industrial relations laws.

[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.

[MacCoise]

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.

[kerrynorth]

The impact of this will be profound. My reading of this is that the Joint Labour Agreements, which are local bargaining agreements across all sectors of the economy, are now not worth the paper they are written on. The minimum wage is the only enforceable wage.

[irishpeoplearewhingers]

I wonder will the Unions grow some balls in the run-up to this vote.

[Defeated Romanticist]

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.

A yes you see Latvians arn't a cool minority. Now if they'd been Lebanese Muslim Gays one could imagine the title the title would be a mirror image in its emphasis.

[The Collective.]

I nhate trade union. Stop trying to run the friggin world!

[MarD]

The ruling was such because the Swedes don't have a minimum wage.

But it would seem to imply that contractors can hire staff abroad to work here on the min wage regardless of collective agreements.

Perhaps the State organisations can make use of this to reduce our over-staffed public sector. But for workers in the real world it is more downward pressure on wages. Another reason to bookmark publicjobs.ie