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Labour rights v. Covid 19

Populations around the world are being hit hard by the current pandemic COVID 19, and in view of this, many States are taking exceptional measures to establish or strengthen social protection measures.

Nevertheless, great inequalities exist and are growing wider between countries, leading to workers being treated differently, which is unacceptable. There are differences in the protection of their employment and income and even when it comes to individual and collective measures to protect their health and safety and that of their relatives.

It cannot be right to accept different treatment of workers from the same company performing similar tasks simply because they work in different countries.

Fortunately, it is possible to put pressure on management for more social justice by imposing really effective information-consultation procedures along with national and trans-national negotiations.

More and more European Works Councils, for example, are currently meeting in extraordinary assemblies to compare company policies in the different countries of activity and within the subcontracting chain. They are debating management choices and proposing alternative solutions.

Are you a trade unionist or staff representative ? Do you want to compare your rights across borders and identify the best solutions suited to the company's workers ? Do you want to weigh up the negative impact of the current health crisis in your company by looking for solutions to avoid job losses among your colleagues or workers at the company’s suppliers ?

Our lawyers will advise you at national, European and international level, helping you to act now in the interest of the workers and to anticipate the consequences yet to come.

Müller-Knapp Hjort Wulff Partnerschaft (Germany)

The law firm Müller-Knapp Hjort Wulff Partnerschaft in Hamburg

is a founding member of the nationwide cooperation "Arbeitnehmer-Anwälte" (established 2001).

Together with the cooperation we organise the effective representation of employee interests nationwide. The cooperation also contributes to the legal and legal-political discussion across all cases. The lawyers of the cooperation stand by all employees, works councils, general, group and European works councils as well as staff councils and employee representatives and representatives of severely disabled persons at all levels as committed and competent representatives of their interests. The lawyers are also available to support the trade unions with their expertise, experience and commitment.

The cooperation is currently present in the following German cities:

Kiel, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Münster, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Mannheim, Nuremberg, Ansbach, Stuttgart, Munich and Freiburg.

The LBBa law firm (France)

The LBBa Law Firm has a recognized expertise in individual and collective labour relations, both in consulting and litigation. For over twenty years, it has been advising employee representatives of numerous companies, of all sizes and in all sectors.

The LBBa law firm, registered as a training provider, runs seminars and training courses for elected officials and trade union representatives.

Its offices are in Paris, Rennes and Nantes. Its lawyers travel throughout France to represent the firm's clients before the courts or to assist them in negotiations with their management.

LBBa also has European experience as an expert for numerous European Works Councils in various sectors such as energy, cash-in-transit and insurance.

Progress Lawyers Network (Belgium)

PROGRESS Lawyers Network (PLN) was established in 2003 as a network of progressive law firms in Brussels and Antwerp. Our network is aimed at lawyers, jurists, students, university collaborators and human rights activists, active both in Belgium and abroad.

In our law practice, we focus on four branches of law: social law, criminal law, aliens law and family law. In recent years, the lawyers in our network have defended workers who opposed the closure of their companies, such as Crown Cork, as well as many dismissed trade unionists. We have initiated proceedings against Adecco for discrimination. In 2015, thanks to the intervention of the Progress Lawyers Network, we obtained the annulment of the data retention law in the Constitutional Court. Our lawyers supported various actions of undocumented migrants. We have defended activists, among others in the so-called "patatistes" (anti-GMO activists) trial. At the international level, we have also intervened in proceedings alongside asbestos victims.

Syndex (France)

Syndex is a European consultancy firm (45 years of experience) with more than 400 specialized consultants, providing assistance to social partners on a wide range of economic and social issues. It places its expertise at the service of European and national social partners, sectoral social partner committees and European and national public institutions, with the aim of fostering social dialogue and contributing to the promotion of a social Europe. Syndex has its headquarters in Paris and has offices in Bucharest, Brussels, Dublin, London, Madrid, and Warsaw. It also has a network of local experts in many other EU countries.

Syndex’ skills in Europe are based on top-level consultants specialized in various sectors of the global economy including the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, rubber and plastics, energy, manufacturing, ICT, finance and retail.

A self-governing organization since its creation, Syndex made the natural choice of becoming a worker cooperative in 2011, thereby reaffirming its democratic convictions. Since its creation, it has been proving daily that a professional structure can combine collective interest and economic balance.