A GLIMPSE INTO THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF LABOUR LAW AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

The landscape of labour law and industrial relations arena has undergone significant reshaping in most of CEE countries since the outset of the global financial and economic crisis. Following or inspired by new international visions of economic governance for economic recovery and growth, the vast majority of CEE countries have carried out or have been envisaging labour policy changes. This paper seeks to take a look at recent labour law reforms in a number of selected CEE countries, and to examine the manner, in which the equation of standard employment relationship and the dynamics of collective bargaining processes have changed.1 The 1st section discusses the policy goals as well as drivers of legal changes, which have affected and guided recent labour law reforms in the sub-region. External influences over shaping of the new policy visions and recovery policies are also examined here. The 2nd section examines recent trends in regulating standard and non-standard employment relationship, as well as the collective agreements as determinants of working conditions and terms of employment. It also analyses the new approaches in the implementation of the guiding principles of collective bargaining, including the autonomy of the parties, and the principle of favourability. Furthermore, the 3rd section seeks to explore what the future looks like by travelling the paths opened by the works of the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work, with a special focus on the Universal Labour Guarantee. Finally, a number of conclusions are drawn on the basis of the analysed data and policies.