Non-discrimination of part-time and fixed-term workers in recent EU case law

This paper discusses the case law of the CJEU over the past five years on the principle of non-discrimination in relation to part-time and fixed-term workers. This case law shows certain shortcomings when it comes to the principle of non-discrimination of part-time and fixed-term workers, partly because the CJEU’s room for interpretation itself of course is limited by EU regulations and partly because, as we shall see below, its own way of interpreting them. The contribution is structured as follows. First, a brief overview is provided on the limited reach of the principle of non-discrimination as framed in the Framework Agreements. This is followed by an analysis of the case law on part-time work and, after that, the case law on fixed-term work. The conclusion addresses some of the main issues that raise due to the Framework Agreements’ set-up and the CJEU’s interpretation of them.

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Cases

Brachner,C-123/10, ECLI:EU:C:2011:675.

Bruno and Others, C-395/08 and C-369/08, ECLI:EU:C:2010:329.

Cachaldora Fernández,C-527/13, ECLI:EU:C2015:215.

Carmela Carratù v Poste Italiane SpA,C-361/12, ECLI:EU:C:2013:620.

Diego Porras,C-596/14, ECLI:EU:C:2016:683.

Elbal Moreno,C-385/11, ECLI:EU:C:2012:746.

Espadas Recio,C-98/15, ECLI:EU:C2017:833.

Gavieiro Gavieiro and Iglesias Torres, C-444/09 and C-456/09, ECLI:EU:C:2010:819.

Greenfield,C-219/14, ECLI:EU:C2015:745.

Grupo Norte,C-574/16, ECLI:EU:C:2018:390.

Kleinsteuber,C-354/16, ECLI:EU:C:2017:539.

Krüger, C-281/97, ECLI:C:EU:1999:396.

Montero Mateos,C-677/16, ECLI:EU:C:2018:393.

Nierodzik,C-38/13, ECLI:EU:C:2014:152.

Örebro läns landsting, C-236/98, ECLI:EU:C:2000:173.

Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund,C-476/12, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2332.

Pérez López, C-16/17, ECLI:EU:C:2016:679.

Regojo Dans,C-177/14, ECLI:EU:C:2015:450.

Schönheit and Becker, C-4/02 and C-5/02, ECLI:EU:2003:583.

Teresa Mascellani,C-221/13, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2286.

Valenza and Others, C-302/11 to C-305/11, ECLI:EU:C:2012:646.

Vega González, C-158/16, ECLI:EU:C:2017:1014.

Vernaza Ayovi,C-96/17, ECLI:EU:C:2018:603.

Wippel,C-313/02, ECLI:EU:C:2004:607.

Zentralbetriebsrat der Landeskrankenhäuser Tirols, C-486/08, ECLI:EU:C2010:215.