TemaNord 2015:541 TemaNord 2015:541 TemaNord Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen K www.norden.org Europe and the Nordic Collective-Bargaining Model The Complex Interaction between Nordic and European Labour Law Europe and the Nordic Collective-Bargaining Model One of the special features of the Nordic countries is that the determination of wages and working conditions is largely left up to the negotiations between the social partners. The purpose of this report is to illuminate a number of the challenges faced by the labour-law systems of the Nordic countries in the light of an increasingly well-developed European law system. The first part of the report was prepared by Dr. Jur. Jens Kristiansen, the editor-in-chief, and focuses on a number of the general challenges facing the labour-law systems of the Nordic countries in the form of European rules and court decisions. The second part of the report was prepared by various representatives of employer and employee organisations in the Nordic countries and illustrates some of the challenges faced by the social partners in their interaction with the European court system and the way in which these challenges have been addressed in the individual countries. TemaNord 2015:541 ISBN 978-92-893-4177-6 (PRINT) ISBN 978-92-893-4179-0 (PDF) ISBN 978-92-893-4178-3 (EPUB) ISSN 0908-6692 TN2015541 omslag.indd 1 02-06-2015 11:20:51 Europe and the Nordic Collective-Bargaining Model The Complex Interaction between Nordic and European Labour Law Dr. Jur. Jens Kristiansen (ed.) Contributions by: Jens Kristiansen, Hans Tilly, Lena Maier Söderberg, Flemming Dreesen, Magnús Norðdahl, Christen Horn Johannessen, Hrafnhildur Stefánsdóttir, Gabriella Sebardt, Ane Kristine Lorentzen, Jari Hellsten, Jens Kragh og Ella Sjödin TemaNord 2015:541 Europe and the Nordic Collective-Bargaining Model The Complex Interaction between Nordic and European Labour Law Dr. Jur. Jens Kristiansen (ed.) Contributions by: Jens Kristiansen, Hans Tilly, Lena Maier Söderberg, Flemming Dreesen, Magnús Norðdahl, Christen Horn Johannessen, Hrafnhildur Stefánsdóttir, Gabriella Sebardt, Ane Kristine Lorentzen, Jari Hellsten, Jens Kragh og Ella Sjödin ISBN 978-92-893-4177-6 (PRINT) ISBN 978-92-893-4179-0 (PDF) ISBN 978-92-893-4178-3 (EPUB) http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-541 TemaNord 2015:541 ISSN 0908-6692 © Nordic Council of Ministers 2015 Layout: Hanne Lebech Cover photo: ImageSelect Print: Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk Copies: 1.000 Printed in Denmark This publication has been published with financial support by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The authors of this publication are responsible for its content and conclusions, and they do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or recommendations of the Nordic Council of Ministers. www.norden.org/nordpub Nordic co-operation Nordic co-operation is one of the world’s most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture. It plays an important role in Europe- an and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe. Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global commu- nity. Common Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world’s most innovative and competitive. Nordic Council of Ministers Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen K Phone (+45) 3396 0200 www.norden.org Content Foreword ................................................................................................................................................9 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Part 1 ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 1. European Challenges of the Nordic Collective‐Agreement Model Jens Kristiansen .......................................................................................................................... 15 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 15 1.2 The Nordic collective‐agreement model in a European perspective .................................................................................................................... 16 1.3 Free movement within the Internal Market.................................................... 22 1.4 Fundamental rights in working life .................................................................... 37 1.5 Harmonisation of wages and working conditions ........................................ 47 1.6 Flexicurity as an employment policy guideline ............................................. 63 1.7 General development trends in European influence ................................... 68 1.8 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 7 7 Part 2 ..................................................................................................................................................... 79 1. Altered Labour Market after Vaxholm Hans Tilly ..................................................................................................................................... 81 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 81 1.2 The LO (Swedish Trade Union Confederation) and the Social Democrats...................................................................................................................... 82 1.3 The position of different parties .......................................................................... 84 1.4 Employer reactions ................................................................................................... 86 1.5 Support from small companies ............................................................................. 87 1.6 Europe, the trade union and Riksdagen ............................................................ 88 1.7 Altered labour market .............................................................................................. 89 1.8 What could we have done differently? .............................................................. 91 1.9 What is the current situation? .............................................................................. 93 2. Laval, the Swedish System of Collective Bargaining and Professionals Lena Maier Söderberg ............................................................................................................ 95 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 95 2.2 Does the Laval judgment really have an impact on Saco and professionals? .............................................................................................................. 96 2.3 Decentralisation versus centralisation ............................................................. 98 2.4 Which model for extending terms and conditions – a fourth way? .... 100 2.5 Which path did Sweden take? ............................................................................ 104 2.6 Epilogue ....................................................................................................................... 106 3. Danish RUT Register Flemming Dreesen.................................................................................................................. 109 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 109 3.2 What is RUT?.............................................................................................................. 110 3.3 Outline of the development of RUT .................................................................. 113 3.4 The legal basis in European law for RUT ....................................................... 114 3.5 The Enforcement Directive .................................................................................. 117 3.6 Registration systems in other States, including Nordic countries ...... 119 3.7 Number of registrations in RUT ........................................................................ 122 3.8 Challenges for RUT .................................................................................................. 123 4. The Nordic Model and the EU: Implementation of Directive 96/71/EC – the Icelandic Experience Magnús Norðdahl ................................................................................................................... 125 4.1 Is there such a thing as one Nordic model? .................................................. 125 4.2 EEA law and national legislation ....................................................................... 127 4.3 Implementation of Directive 96/71/EC in Iceland .................................... 130 4.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 136 5. Does EU legislation Enable Airlines to Discard the Nordic Labour‐ Market Model? Christen Horn Johannessen .................................................................................................. 139 5.1