The creation of the new Network of Legal Advisers takes its roots in an initiative proposed by CESI’s Italian member organisation CISAL at CESI’s last Congress in December 2016 to facilitate regular exchanges of information and discussions between member organisations about European jurisprudence in the area of labour law, with the aim to better learn from each other and jointly coordinate relevant action in the interest of affiliate members.

At the network’s first meeting, the participants addressed the application of the EU fixed-term work directive 1999/70/EC and the EU working time directive 2003/88/EC in their respective countries with reference to the existing jurisprudence before the European Court of Justice (CJEU). They also discussed about challenges related to precarious work in the context of the CJEU’s Mascolo judgment from November 26 2014 as well as about the implications of the Dansk Industri judgment of April 19 2016 on equal treatment.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “I am glad that our new Network for Legal Advisers has kicked off. Recent trends in the world of work related to, for instance, digitalisation and new forms of employment have led to increasing amounts of case law to interpret existing EU social and employment legislation. More than 50 judgments and orders of the CJEU have dealt with the Working time directive alone! It is an increasing challenge for trade unions to take in all resulting consequences and implications into the services they provide for their affiliates. I hope our new network will be a forum to help our members stay on top of new developments and act effectively in the interest of their affiliates.”

The next meeting of the Network is foreseen for October 2017.