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Direktiv om tillräckliga minimilöner i Europeiska unionen – En undersökning av minimilönedirektivets giltighet i ljuset av unionens befogenheter på arbetsrättens område

Vålvik, Viktor LU (2024) JURM02 20241
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Following the European Pillar of Social Rights, the union legislator adopted a directive on minimum wages on 19 October 2022. During the legislative process, the directive was heavily criticised by the Danish and Swedish governments, which were the only member states to vote against the Commission's proposal in the Council. One explanation for this scepticism is that neither Sweden nor Denmark have statutory minimum wages and their labour markets are based on strong collective bargaining rights with minimum wages determined through collective agreements. Although the directive does not require member states to introduce statutory minimum wages or the extension of collective agreements to entire sectors of the economy, there have been... (More)
Following the European Pillar of Social Rights, the union legislator adopted a directive on minimum wages on 19 October 2022. During the legislative process, the directive was heavily criticised by the Danish and Swedish governments, which were the only member states to vote against the Commission's proposal in the Council. One explanation for this scepticism is that neither Sweden nor Denmark have statutory minimum wages and their labour markets are based on strong collective bargaining rights with minimum wages determined through collective agreements. Although the directive does not require member states to introduce statutory minimum wages or the extension of collective agreements to entire sectors of the economy, there have been concerns on the Swedish and Danish side that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have increased influence on national wage formation. As a result, Denmark brought an action for annulment to the Court of Justice, requesting that the directive as a whole, or alternatively Article 4(1)(d) and 4(2) of the Directive, be declared void. This thesis aims to carry out such a judicial review as is currently underway in the Court of Justice. The analysis concludes that the directive, contrary to the grounds put forward by Denmark, is compatible with Article 153(5) of the TFEU, both with respect to the exceptions for pay and the right of association. The analysis also concludes that the directive is compatible with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. However, since the directive contains both provisions on the conditions for setting statutory minimum wages and on the conditions for collective bargaining, the question arises as to whether the adopted directive really can be based on the same ground. Article 153 of the TFEU provides for different legislative procedures for measures based on working conditions compared to measures based on the representation and collective defence of the interest of workers. The analysis concludes that the directive's provisions on collective bargaining cannot be considered to constitute working conditions and that these provisions therefore have been adopted without the correct legal basis. These provisions should therefore be annulled by the Court of Justice. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Med hänvisning till den europeiska pelaren för sociala rättigheter antog unionslagstiftaren den 19 oktober 2022 ett direktiv om minimilöner. Direktivet mötte under lagstiftningsprocessen stark kritik från Danmark och Sveriges regeringar vilka var de enda medlemsstater som röstade emot kommissionens förslag i rådet. En förklaring till detta är att både Sverige och Danmark saknar lagstadgade minimilöner och har en arbetsmarknadsmodell som bygger på stark partsautonomi och minimilönereglering genom kollektivavtal. Även om direktivet varken ställer krav på medlemsstaterna att införa lagstadgade minimilöner eller allmängiltigförklaring av kollektivavtal befarar man från svensk och dansk sida att EU-domstolen kommer att få ökat inflytande i den... (More)
Med hänvisning till den europeiska pelaren för sociala rättigheter antog unionslagstiftaren den 19 oktober 2022 ett direktiv om minimilöner. Direktivet mötte under lagstiftningsprocessen stark kritik från Danmark och Sveriges regeringar vilka var de enda medlemsstater som röstade emot kommissionens förslag i rådet. En förklaring till detta är att både Sverige och Danmark saknar lagstadgade minimilöner och har en arbetsmarknadsmodell som bygger på stark partsautonomi och minimilönereglering genom kollektivavtal. Även om direktivet varken ställer krav på medlemsstaterna att införa lagstadgade minimilöner eller allmängiltigförklaring av kollektivavtal befarar man från svensk och dansk sida att EU-domstolen kommer att få ökat inflytande i den nationella lönebildningen. Med anledning av direktivet väckte därför Danmark ogiltighetstalan och yrkade på att direktivet i dess helhet, alternativt dess artikel 4.1 d och 4.2, skulle ogiltigförklaras. Uppsatsen syftar till att genomföra en sådan normprövning som för närvarande är under process i EU-domstolen. Framställningen finner att direktivet, till skillnad från de grunder som har angivits av Danmark, är förenligt med artikel 153.5 i funktionsfördraget både vad det avser undantagen för löneförhållanden och föreningsrätten. Framställningen finner även att direktivet är förenligt med subsidiaritets- och proportionalitetsprincipen. Eftersom direktivet både innehåller bestämmelser som rör förutsättningar för fastställande av lagstadgade minimilöner som förutsättningar för kollektivavtalsförhandlingar uppkommer dock frågan huruvida det antagna direktivet verkligen kan bygga på en och samma grund. Artikel 153 i funktionsfördraget föreskriver olika lagstiftningsförfaranden för åtgärder som grundar sig på arbetsvillkor jämfört med åtgärder som grundar sig på företrädande och kollektivt tillvaratagande av arbetstagarnas intressen. Framställningen finner att direktivets bestämmelser som rör kollektivavtalsförhandlingar inte kan anses utgöra arbetsvillkor och att dessa bestämmelser därför inte har antagits i laga ordning. Dessa bestämmelser borde därför ogiltigförklaras av EU-domstolen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Vålvik, Viktor LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the European Union – An Inquiry Into the Validity of the Directive of Minimum Wages Given Union Competences in Employment Law
course
JURM02 20241
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Arbetsrätt, EU-rätt, ogiltighetstalan, normprövning, konstitutionell rätt
language
Swedish
id
9158596
date added to LUP
2024-09-10 16:52:13
date last changed
2024-09-13 15:26:08
@misc{9158596,
  abstract     = {{Following the European Pillar of Social Rights, the union legislator adopted a directive on minimum wages on 19 October 2022. During the legislative process, the directive was heavily criticised by the Danish and Swedish governments, which were the only member states to vote against the Commission's proposal in the Council. One explanation for this scepticism is that neither Sweden nor Denmark have statutory minimum wages and their labour markets are based on strong collective bargaining rights with minimum wages determined through collective agreements. Although the directive does not require member states to introduce statutory minimum wages or the extension of collective agreements to entire sectors of the economy, there have been concerns on the Swedish and Danish side that the Court of Justice of the European Union will have increased influence on national wage formation. As a result, Denmark brought an action for annulment to the Court of Justice, requesting that the directive as a whole, or alternatively Article 4(1)(d) and 4(2) of the Directive, be declared void. This thesis aims to carry out such a judicial review as is currently underway in the Court of Justice. The analysis concludes that the directive, contrary to the grounds put forward by Denmark, is compatible with Article 153(5) of the TFEU, both with respect to the exceptions for pay and the right of association. The analysis also concludes that the directive is compatible with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. However, since the directive contains both provisions on the conditions for setting statutory minimum wages and on the conditions for collective bargaining, the question arises as to whether the adopted directive really can be based on the same ground. Article 153 of the TFEU provides for different legislative procedures for measures based on working conditions compared to measures based on the representation and collective defence of the interest of workers. The analysis concludes that the directive's provisions on collective bargaining cannot be considered to constitute working conditions and that these provisions therefore have been adopted without the correct legal basis. These provisions should therefore be annulled by the Court of Justice.}},
  author       = {{Vålvik, Viktor}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Direktiv om tillräckliga minimilöner i Europeiska unionen – En undersökning av minimilönedirektivets giltighet i ljuset av unionens befogenheter på arbetsrättens område}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}