Workers' Rights between Law and Practice

Abstract

Workers’ rights in the European Union are increasingly characterised by a tension between formal legal protections and their practical enforcement and lived experience. While EU and national frameworks have expanded rights related to employment conditions, equality, and collective representation, significant gaps persist between law on the books and law in action. This panel examines how workers’ rights are interpreted, implemented, and contested across different institutional and socio-economic contexts. Contributions address a range of issues, including enforcement mechanisms, labour inspection and compliance, access to justice, the role of courts and social partners, and the impact of non-standard employment and platform work. The panel brings together comparative and country-specific analyses to explore how legal norms interact with power relations, administrative capacity, and political dynamics. Particular attention is paid to inequalities in the protection of workers’ rights across sectors, contract types, and social groups. By focusing on the interface between regulation and practice, the panel seeks to advance understanding of the conditions under which workers’ rights are effectively realised—or undermined—in contemporary labour markets.

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