Labour Law and New Forms of Corporate Organisation

By Marie-Laure Morin

The drive for global competitiveness has led to sweeping changes in the way enterprises are organised. Developments such as the massive growth of global financial markets and outsourcing have far-reaching consequences for labour relations and labour law.

This article examines some issues in relation to the experiences of France and Europe generally.

The greater responsiveness to "shareholder value" and the decentralisation and outsourcing of production and service functions have fragmented enterprises and labour organisation. Labour law has been challeneged, according to the author, to continue to safeguard the employment relationship and to ensure the economic and social risks relating to production are shared and the working conditions are protected. French labour law and its relationship to European Union Directives is the case study used.

(International Labour Review; vol. 144, no. 1, 2005)