Labor Law

Aims of the course

The aim of this course is that the students get acquainted with basic principles and characteristics of labour law which regulates the relationships at work and which has to consider and balance the conflicting interests of the employers and the employees. The course ensures the students with knowledge and understanding of individual as well as collecitve labour law (conclusion of the employment contract, types of employment, rights and obligations of the employees, termination of employment, collecitve agreements, strikes etc.) which is neccessary for everyday's decision-making and managing of employment relations in business practice.

Course syllabus

1. Introduction: the development of labour law, the content(individual/collective/procedural labour law), principles of labour law, human rights in the field of labour relations;
2. Sources of labour law: international labour standards (UN treaties, ILO treaties, European Social Charter, etc.); EU labour law (relevant treaty provisions, regulations, directives); domestic labour law (the Constitution, the Employment Relationships Act and other state legislation, collecitve agreements, agreements between the works council and the employer);
3. Individual labour law: definition of the employment relationship, the employer, the employee;
the contract of employment (conclusion, content, form); prohibition of discrimination in labour relations; obligations of the contracting parties;
types of employment relationship (for indefinite period of time, fixed-term, part-time, agency work, etc.); the change of employment contract; the change of employer (transfer of the employer);
termination of the contract of employment: expiry, death of the contracting party, mutual agreement, dismissal (valid reason, procedure and formal requirements, peirod of notice, severance payments, special rules in case of insolvency, in case of collective dismissals, for certain categories of workers), etc.;
rights and obligations during the employment relationship (payment, working hours, night work, overtime, rests and annual leave, training, disciplinary sanctions etc);
special labour law protection for certain categories of workers (young workers, older workers, pregnant workers and workers with family responsibilities, workers with disabilities, workers' representatives);
Labour inspection.
4. Collective labour law: trade-unions and employers associations, freedom of association, collective bargaining, strikes and other industrial actions, workers participation;
5. Procedural labour law: individual and collective labour dispute; disputes over rights and disputes over interests; special labour courts; alternative dispute resolution (conciliation, mediation, arbitration).

Course director(s)