Catherwood LibraryILR School

Taking the position that workers must be able to exercise their union rights free from employer coercion, a European Union Court yesterday ruled that employers cannot use pay or benefits to encourage employees to waive their right to bargain collectively. The ruling overturns an earlier decision by the British House of Lords, and stems from a case in which a member of the National Union of Journalists was offered a 4.5 percent raise to drop out of a union contract---and, after refusing, was consistently given raises lower than coworkers who accepted the offer. The decision raises the possibility that British labor and employment law may have to be reformed to meet EU workers? rights standards.