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THE RIGHT TO STRIKE IN THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN EU COUNTRIES Peter Fairbrother, David Hall, Steve Davies, Nikolaus Hammer, and Emanuele Lobina THE RIGHT TO STRIKE IN THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN EU COUNTRIES Peter Fairbrother***, David Hall*, Steve Davies**, Nikolaus Hammer***, and Emanuele Lobina* A study commissioned by the Enérgeia Foundation May 2002 *** Critical Research on Economic and Social Transformation, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University * Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich ** Public Services International Research Unit, Cardiff University *** Critical Research on Economic and Social Transformation, Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University * Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich Professor Peter Fairbrother, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, CARDIFF CF10 3WT, UK Email: [email protected] Website: www.cf.ac.uk/socsi Tel: + 44 (0) 29 20 875155 David Hall, Director, Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU), School of Computing and Mathematics, University of Greenwich, Park Row, London SE10 9LS, UK Email: [email protected] Website: www.psiru.org Tel: +44 (0)208 331 9933 ISBN: 1-872330-71-1 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................5 2 INTERNATIONAL AND EU LAW.........................................................................................6 2.1 ILO Convention on Freedom of Association...................................................................... 6 2.2 United Nations Organisation ............................................................................................. 6 2.3 Council of Europe: European Social Charter.................................................................... 6 2.4 EU Provisions on the Right to Strike ................................................................................. 7 2.4.1 EU Treaty......................................................................................................................7 2.4.2 Charter of Fundamental EU Rights..................................................................................7 2.4.2.1 No Explicit Right to Strike .......................................................................................7 2.4.2.2 Recognition of Public Services .................................................................................7 3 RIGHT TO STRIKE IN ELECTRICITY IN EU COUNTRIES....................................................8 3.1 Constitutional Protections (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden)..................................................................... 8 3.2 Legal Recognition of the Right to Strike (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) ............................................................. 8 3.3 Collective Agreements (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) ................................................................................... 9 3.4 Social Peace Obligations (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Sweden) ................................................................................................................... 9 3.5 Legal Immunities (UK, Ireland)......................................................................................... 9 4 REGULATION OF STRIKES IN PUBLIC SERVICES..........................................................11 4.1 The Right to Strike .......................................................................................................... 11 4.1.1 Prohibitions on Right to Strike (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece) ...............11 4.1.2 General Procedural Restrictions on Right to Strike (Belgium, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom) .........................................................11 4.1.3 Essential Services (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) ......................................................................................................12 4.1.4 Voluntary Application (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom)............12 4.1.5 Intervention (All Countries)..........................................................................................13 4.2 Right to Strike in Electricity............................................................................................ 13 4.2.1 Right to Strike..............................................................................................................13 4.2.2 Restrictions on the Right to Strike .................................................................................14 4.2.3 Limitations on the Right to Strike ..................................................................................14 4.2.4 Contention ...................................................................................................................14 4.2.5 The Place of Government .............................................................................................15 1 4.2.6 Recent Events..............................................................................................................15 4.3 Principles......................................................................................................................... 15 5 THE EU ELECTRICITY DIRECTIVE AND ELECTRICITY SYSTEMS...................................17 5.1 EU Electricity Directive ................................................................................................... 17 5.1.1 Public Service Obligations: Must Be Explicit .................................................................17 5.2 Managing Electricity Networks ....................................................................................... 17 6 ITALY..............................................................................................................................19 6.1 The Electricity Sector in Italy .......................................................................................... 19 6.1.1 Structure and Changes..................................................................................................19 6.1.2 Companies and Ownership............................................................................................19 6.1.3 Operation of the Market and System..............................................................................20 6.2 The Legal Basis of the Right to Strike in Electricity in Italy ............................................ 20 6.2.1 Implementation ............................................................................................................21 6.2.2 Obligations If a Strike Is Declared.................................................................................22 6.3 The 2001 Collective Agreement ....................................................................................... 22 6.3.1 Intervention by the Commission....................................................................................23 6.4 Selective Strike Action in the Electricity Sector............................................................... 23 7 DISCUSSION....................................................................................................................25 7.1 Key Issues........................................................................................................................ 25 7.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 25 7.2.1 Procedure ....................................................................................................................26 7.2.2 Guidelines for Social Partners .......................................................................................26 7.2.3 Principles.....................................................................................................................27 8 ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................29 Annexe I. International Regulations on the Right to Strike ...................................................29 I.i ILO Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948) ..........................................................................................................29 I.ii United Nations Organisation.......................................................................................30 I.iii European Social Charter (Turin, 18 October 1961)......................................................31 I.iv EU Provisions on the Right to Strike ..........................................................................32 I.v EU Provisions on Essential Services and Electricity.....................................................34 Annexe II. Ownership and Structure of the EU Electricity Sector .........................................36 Annexe III. The Right to Strike in Essential Services in EU Countries (excl. Italy) ................41 III.i AUSTRIA...............................................................................................................41 III.ii BELGIUM..............................................................................................................45