The European Association of Labour Court Judges

2nd Annual Congress - Seville (Spain)

14-16 May 1997

Fundemental Rights of Workers

The highly successful 2nd Annual Congress of the Association, to discuss issues touching upon "fundamental rights of workers", took place in Seville, with the generous financial assistance of the Social Affairs Directorate of the European Commission and the tremendous endeavour of our Spanish colleagues, led by Alfonso Martinez Escribano.

This meeting, which attracted over fifty technical delegates, was honoured by the presence of leading members of the Spanish judiciary, as well as the head of DG/V/A of the European Commission, and a member of the influential Comité des Sages which had taken up this issue in its recent report.

Amongst the aspects of the overall subject-matter addressed were

(i) "Social Rights Recognised in International Law, in National Constitutions, and in Community Law";

(ii) "Security of Employment and Freedom to Dismiss";

(iii) "Exploitation of Workers";

(iv) Discrimination";

(v) "Rights of Association and Collective Bargaining".

The results of the Congress deliberations have been published by Ashgate Publishers in the form of the volume Fundamental Social Rights at Work in the European Community.