Aims

This course is a follow-up to the course on Principles of Social and Tax Law given in the first-year law degree studies, which provides a general introduction to the history and context of the shaping and separate development of social law and its specific goals. Having regard to the specific nature of this field of law (i.e. its volatility and volume of texts), this course introduces students to the structure of the social law system and specific techniques in labour and social security law. It emphasises private law (i.e. obligations and contract law) and public law techniques. Such a wide-ranging introduction provides students with ways to progress individually by examining questions that cannot be covered during lectures. Optional courses devoted to labour law or to social security law can also be chosen.

Main themes

The first part of this course is an introduction to labour law, covering the two large sectors of labour law: individual legal relations and) collective bargaining.
With regard to individual legal relations, it encompasses norms and techniques for:
- the definition, negotiation, implementation, suspension and dissolution of the labour contract;
- collective dismissal and enterprise transfers.

With regard to collective bargaining and collective legal relations, it encompasses norms and techniques related to:
- trade union representation
- information and consultative bodies (e.g. the National Labour Council, parity commissions, enterprise councils, health and safety committees)
- strikes and lock-outs.

The second part of the course introduces social security law. Techniques and structures are examined, in the light of the principal current problems for the social security system:
- fundamental concepts of social security law, in the light of international, European and comparative law;
- the field of application appropriate to employees and the self-employed;
- norms and rules related to the rights to benefits;
- jurisdiction and procedures.

These fundamental concepts are covered more fully in a second section. This involves a detailed examination of a particular social security regime, liable to vary from one year to the next, and an introduction to the rules and norms related to social assistance (e.g. the guaranteed minimum wage).

Other credits in programs