ECJ Opinion – Directive 97/81/EC – Directive 76/207/EEC – Social policy – Equal treatment as between part-time and full-time workers – Equal treatment as between male and female workers – Working hours and organisation of working-time.
A part-time worker was engaged under a framework contract of employment which lasted in the event from October 1998 to June 2000, but under it the duration and scheduling of any work was determined by agreement (in practice from week to week) between the parties and she was paid on an hourly basis for any hours she was asked and agreed to work (plus sales commission on sales thereby achieved). Her contention was that she was discriminated against because her contract did not contain a fixed weekly working time with a predetermined salary, whether or not she did or did not work for the whole of that working time.
Held: That argument was dismissed. Advocate General (Kokott) stated: ‘Consequently, for the purposes of the Framework Agreement, the term ‘worker’ is not a Community law concept. Indeed, the personal scope of application of the Framework Agreement is defined by reference to the national law applicable in each case. The term ‘worker’ therefore has to be defined in reliance on the law, collective agreements and practices in force in each member state. The member states have wide discretionary powers in this respect. Only the very broadest limits can be determined in this respect by reference to Community law. It could therefore constitute a breach of the duty of co-operation (article 10 EC) if a member state were to define the term ‘worker’ so narrowly under its national law that the Framework Agreement on part-time work were deprived of any validity in practice and achievement of its purpose, as stipulated in Clause 1, were greatly obstructed. However, there is no sign of that here.’
Judges:
Advocate General (Kokott)
Citations:
[2005] IRLR 211, [2004] EUECJ C-313/02, [2005] ICR 1604, [2005] 1 CMLR 9
Links:
Statutes:
Equal Treatment Directive (Council Directive 76/207/EEC, Directive 76/207/EEC, Directive 97/81/EC
Jurisdiction:
European
Cited by:
Cited – Percy v Church of Scotland Board of National Mission HL 15-Dec-2005
The claimant appealed after her claim for sex discrimination had failed. She had been dismissed from her position an associate minister of the church. The court had found that it had no jurisdiction, saying that her appointment was not an . .
Cited – Matthews and others v Kent and Medway Towns and Fire Authority and others HL 1-Mar-2006
Retained or part-time firefighters sought parity of working conditions with full time firefighters.
Held: The retained firefighters’ appeal succeeded (Lords Carswell and Mance dissenting). The test was whether the part-time and full time . .
Cited – O’Brien v Department for Constitutional Affairs CA 19-Dec-2008
The claimant was a part time recorder. He claimed to be entitled to a judicial pension.
Held: The Employment Appeal Tribunal was wrong to find an error of law in the decision of the Employment Tribunal to extend time; but the court declined to . .
Cited – O’Brien v Ministry of Justice SC 28-Jul-2010
The appellant had worked as a part time judge. He now said that he should be entitled to a judicial pension on retirement by means of the Framework Directive. The Regulations disapplied the provisions protecting part time workers for judicial office . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Discrimination
Updated: 23 June 2022; Ref: scu.216593
