A recent ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) provides another example of economic freedoms taking precedence over social rights, according to the ETUC. The case involved collective agreements between local authorities and trade unions in Germany that specified who would provide pensions. The ECJ ruled that procurement rules should apply to authorities above a certain size and so the provision of pension services had to be open to tender in line with EU rules. ETUC general secretary John Monks said: “This judgment ignores the public authorities’ independence when they are acting as employers. More worryingly, it also confirms the supremacy of economic freedoms over fundamental social rights.”
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ETUC criticises court judgement on pensions
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