Workers’ rights in EU organisations: a podcast

Researchers from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt are investigating labour relations in supranational organisations, including the ECB. A podcast by the Hans Böckler Foundation discusses initial findings and ways of improving the legal situation for employees.

Legally free spaces

Even if the situation for employees in different organisations differs in concrete terms, according to the findings of the project, the lack of a labour and social law framework at supranational level remains a unifying element. As in the case of the ECB, this vacuum is filled by the institution itself, whereby it is at the same time legislator, executive and, in parts, jurisdiction. Legal recourse is only possible before the European Court of Justice and is associated with high legal and cost-related hurdles.

Possible solutions

Possible solutions under discussion include strengthening the legal framework for labour relations in EU law or integrating it into the labour and social law of the host countries. For the ECB, the over-extension of the scope of independence to the organisation of labour relations should also be called into question.

Here you can find the podcast (in German)
https://www.boeckler.de/de/podcasts-22421-beschaeftigtenrechte-in-supranationalen-organisatoren-62234.htm

and the German script as well
https://www.boeckler.de/data/Systemrelevant-201-Supranationales-Arbeitsrecht_Transkriptda.pdf

The panellists

Christiane Schnell from the Institute for Social Research presents the initial results of the project.She discusses with the head of research funding at the Hans Böckler Foundation, Stefan Lücking, and the head of the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute, Ernesto Klengel.

The Hans Böckler Foundation is the co-determination, study and research funding organisation of the German Trade Union Confederation, the umbrella organisation of the German trade unions. The Hugo Sinzheimer Institute is a labour and social law research institute within the Hans Böckler Foundation.