The ECJ considers whether the Swedish Construction Workers' Union Building violated Article 49 of the EU Treaty on the free flow of services when the union went into blockade by the Latvian construction company Laval to ensure that it paid Swedish tariff wages to its Latvian workers.
The European Commission and all EU governments have the right to submit their views before the European Court of Justice. Since the case is equally relevant to EEA countries, the Norwegian government has the same right.
The commotion shot by Commissioner McCreevy
Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, in charge of the internal market of the European Commission, was recently in Sweden and stated in an interview on Swedish Radio that the European Commission will support Latvia in the European Court of Justice. The requirement that Swedish collective bargaining agreements apply to everyone who works in Sweden prevents free movement. This fundamental freedom of the market is also impeded if the trade union movement has the right to force higher minimum wages in a workplace.
The reaction from the Swedish government was sharp: Minister of Trade and Industry Thomas Ostros threatened to block all work on the controversial proposal. . .
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