Right to strike, industrial action, Viking and Laval Cases: right to strike vs. freedom of establishment / freedom to provide services

1. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking and Laval Cases:
right to strike vs. right of establishment /
freedom to provide services
Christian Welz _ Dublin, 17 April 2015
christian.welz@eurofound.europa.eu

2. 3 grand principles of EU law
• direct applicability
• direct effect
• supremacy

3. 3 grand principles of EU law
• direct applicability =
• EU law may become part of the national law without
intervention of the national parliaments
– case for all EC regulations
– NOT the case for directives and the Treaties
– e.g. the Treaty of Lisbon
– had to be ratified according to the national practices of
the 28 Member States (i.e. either by referenda or votes
by the legislator)

4. Direct applicability
MS
legal/nat. persons
International law

5. Direct applicability
MS
legal / nat. persons
EU law

6. 3 grand principles of EU law
• direct effect =
• EU law may generate rights on which individuals can rely
before domestic courts
– all regulations, and, exceptionally, for directives
• EUJ criteria for primary EU law:
– a) clear and precise
– b) unconditional
– c) capable of producing rights for individuals
– e.g. articles 30, 39, 49, 101, 110, 157, 294 TFEU

7. 3 grand principles of EU law
• supremacy =
–EU ‘breaks’ national law, even national
constitutional law
–national administrations and courts must not
apply national law in breach of EU Law

8. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking / Laval Cases – legal issues

9. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - facts

10. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - employers’ view

11. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - trade unions’ view

12. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

13. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

14. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

15. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

16. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

17. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

18. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

19. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Viking Case - judgment

20. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - facts

21. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - facts

22. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - judgment

23. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - judgment

24. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - judgment

25. Coordinating the Network of EU Agencies 2015
Laval Case - judgment