Recent Highlights

(Updated 07 February 2012)

In the Czech Republic both the amended Labour Code and the amended Code on Employment came into effect. Both laws lead to considerable changes. In Germany the so-called Family Nursing Care Time Act came into force. In Italy the law on apprenticeships was modified with an aim of solving some of the problems that have so far impeded the functioning of apprenticeships as an important employment tool.

In Romania the law on apprenticeships was streamlined, too. In Lithuania a law transposing Directive 2008/104/EC finally came into effect on 1 December 2011. In the Netherlands a number of legislative measures were introduced, including the implementation of the recast Directive 2010/18/EU. In Romania Directive 2009/38/EC was transposed. In Spain the law on Labour Courts was amended.

In Finland the government has put forward a Draft Act on amending the Employment Contracts Act as well as a Draft Act on amending the Seamen’s Employment Contracts Act. In Greece a draft presidential decree has been prepared with the aim of implementing Directive 2008/104/EC.

In Hungary the parliament adopted the new Labour Code. The Code will come into force as of 01 July 2012. In Ireland the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011 has been published. The Bill, when enacted, will transpose Directive 2008/104/EC with retrospective effect from 5 December 2011. In Latvia parliament adopted additional measures to transpose Directive 2008/104. In Liechtenstein measures were taken to transpose Directive 2009/38/EC. In Luxemburg a bill was issued to implement Directive 2009/38/EC. In Sweden the introduction of a new apprentice probationary employment contract is currently under consideration.

In Portugal a review of the Troika - Memorandum of Understanding has taken place. In the UK the so-called red tape challenge has turned its attention to employment law.

In France, important decisions on working time, part-time work and fixed-term contracts were handed down by the courts. In Germany a State Labour Court delivered a judgement according to which a European Works Council has no right to make a claim against the employer to (temporarily) suspend his decision to close down a plant if the employer violated the rights of the European Works Council to information and consultation arising from such a decision. In Italy the Constitutional Court delivered an important judgement on fixed-term contracts.

In Slovenia important changes of the set-up of social dialogue have taken place.