Documents Colneric, Ninon 8 results

"Seit 1979 wurden insg. 25 EuGH-Verfahren vom gewerkschaftlichen Rechtsschutz vertreten, darunter nicht weniger als 8 Verfahren vor dem Plenum oder der Gr. Kammer, denen nach Einschätzung des EuGHgrds. Bedeutung zukommt. Schwerpunkte sind Wanderarbeitnehmer, Geschlechtergleichbehandlung und Betriebsübergang. Weitere Verfahren betrafen die Unterrichtungspflicht des AG über den Arbeitsvertrag oder die Arbeitsbedingungen, die wöchentliche Höchstarbeitszeit und den Schutz der AN bei Zahlungsunfähigkeit des AG. Zunächst ging es um die Auslegung der VO Nr. 1408/71 zur sozialen Sicherheit der Wanderarbeitnehmer und ihrer Familien. Seit den 1990er Jahren kamen Verfahren aus dem Arbeitsrecht hinzu, deren Hintergrund und Ergebnisse ebenfalls ausführlich beschrieben werden. Insgesamt war die Geschichte des gewerkschaftlichen Rechtsschutzes vor dem EuGH eine Erfolgsstory. Die Verfahren lassen eine hohe Kompetenz sowohl für das eur. Sozialrecht als auch für das eur. Arbeitsrecht erkennen. Der gewerkschaftliche Rechtsschutz hat einen wesentlichen Beitrag dazu geleistet, das Potential des eur. Rechts zum Schutz von AN zur Entfaltung zu bringen. Wiederholt mussten Normen des dt. Rechts, die hinter den eur. Schutzstandards zurückblieben, geändert werden. In einem Fall wurde eine mit dem Primärrecht unvereinbare Norm des Sekundärrechts für ungültig erklärt. In der Rs. Asklepios gelang kürzlich sogar etwas, das fast unmöglich ist: Der EuGH wurde dazu bewegt, seine Rspr. zu ändern. De facto hat er die für AN nachteilige Entscheidung Werhof aufgegeben. Nicht zuletzt hat der gewerkschaftliche Rechtsschutz Pionierarbeit bei der Verbreitung von Kenntnissen des eur. Rechts geleistet.

Ninon Colneric: Legal protection provided by trade unions in proceedings at the ECJ

Since 1979, a total of 25 proceedings at the ECJ were dealt with by legal protection provided by trade unions. 8 proceedings were held in plenary sitting or in the Grand Chamber that are both fundamentally important. Key aspects are migrant workers, gender equality and transfer of undertakings. Other proceedings concerned the obligation to inform about the employment contract or working conditions, maximum weekly working time and the employees` protection in case of the employer's inability to pay. At first, proceedings were about the interpretation of Regulation No. 1408/71 concerning the social security of migrant workers and their families. Since 1990, labour court proceedings appeared. Their background and outcome are described in the article. Overall, the story of legal protection provided by trade unions in proceedings at the ECJ is a story of success. The proceedings show great competence in the fields of European social law as well as European labor law. Legal protection provided by trade unions has made an important contribution to the development of employee protection on a European level. German regulations had to be adapted several times as they did not comply with European standards. In one case, a secondary law norm incompatible with primary law was declared void. In the Asklepsios case, trade union legal protection even succeeded in changing the ECJ's case law. De facto, the ECJ abandoned its ruling in Werhof. Furthermore, legal protection provided by trade unions carried out pioneer work spreading knowledge about European law."

"On 16 December 2019, Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law entered into force (hereinafter: Whistleblower Directive; WBD). Based on a Commission proposal of 23 April 2018 and accompanied by an intensive policy debate, the final version of the Directive represents the most far-reaching piece of European Union legislation in the field of whistleblowing law to date, both in terms of depth and scope of regulation. The Member States of the European Union are now obliged to transpose the Directive's provisions essentially by 17 December 2021. For most Member States, this will mark the first time they will adopt a comprehensive whistleblowing law. Hence, the transposition of the WBD will bring with it various challenges, but also multiple opportunities to improve the current legal framework and its practical implications, both of which are discussed in this two-part article series. Part 1 of the series will first discuss the Directive's background and the main regulatory elements, followed by an in-depth analysis of its material and personal scope as well as the general conditions for whistleblower protection."

"The Whistleblower Directive of 2019 is by far the European Union's most important piece of whistleblowing legislation to date, covering a remarkably broad range of regulatory fields and subjects. After Part 1 of this two-part article series, which mostly focused on the Directive's scope and general conditions for whistleblower protection, Part 2 will analyse its provisions on public disclosures and the various measures for protection and support that Member States are required to implement. Following this discussion, the article will then turn to some of the most pressing legislative questions each Member State will have to answer before the deadline for transposition passes on 17 December 2021."