What is working time? The interpretation of the European Court of Justice
The impacts of the Matzak judgment on ‘home based on-call time’ on employment and working conditions

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 – 12.30 to 14.30
Light lunch 12h30-13h00
CESI premises, Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée 1-5, 1040 Bruxelles

Register for the event here.

In February this year, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered a significant verdict in favour of a Belgian volunteer firefighter for his home-based on-call time. Indeed, in its ruling, the Court stated that “stand-by time which a worker spends at home with the duty to respond to calls from his employer within 8 minutes, very significantly restricting the opportunities for other activities, must be regarded as ‘working time’”.
This case may have fundamental impacts on services which strongly depend on “on-call” and “stand-by” duties, in particular in the areas of health, civil protection and law enforcement.
What are the concrete impacts on working time, remuneration and organisation of these services? Is this judgment helpful or detrimental to these sectors? What are the current challenges in terms of sustainability and organisation of these services?
The panel will allow assessments and exchanges of views among experts, lawyers, politicians and trade unionists.

Opening, 13.00
Mr Romain Wolff, President of CESI

Discussion with the participation of
Maître Pierre Joassart, Deckers&Joassart, lawyer of Mr Matzak
Alain Laratta, Vice-President of Avenir Secours, Lieutenant-Colonel of French Firefighters
NN, representative of local and regional administrations (tbc)
Andrea Grgic, European Commission

Moderator
Pierre Baussand, Director of the Brussels Liaison Office, Eurofound

Conclusions
Klaus Heeger, Secretary General of CESI