PERn4210 Labour Law in International Context

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
JUDr. Michal Smejkal, Ph.D. (lecturer), Mgr. Blanka Plasová, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
JUDr. Michal Smejkal, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
In this course, students study international law related to labor law and EU law in the field of social policy; they study the basics of labor law and social security law in the EU. First, attention is paid to relevant international documents and the International Labor Organization and its standard-setting activities. Subsequently, students will focus on primary law, i.e. founding treaties and their provisions regarding social policy. Attention is also paid to secondary law. Regulations and directives regarding individual and collective labor law and regulations regarding the coordination of social security systems will be discussed. Attention will also be paid to the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union in this area. Within the course, students will understand how international sources of law and the law of the European Union and the decision-making activity of the Court of Justice of the European Union influence Czech social law (that is, labor law and social security law). At the end of the course, students will be able to orientate themselves in the basic international documents related to labor law, they will also be able to orientate themselves in EU law in the area of ​​social policy and understand how it is transformed into Czech labor law and social security law.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing the course, the student will be able to:
- describe selected aspects of labor law in an international context,
- identify areas of labor law and social security law regulated by international and EU law and
- apply the regulation contained in the provisions of Union law concerning the free movement of workers and the coordination of social security systems, which have direct effect.
Syllabus
  • 1. Definition of the term labor law and social policy in the EU; regulation of fundamental rights in international documents and regulation of social policy in founding treaties and analysis of individual provisions
  • 2. Overview and analysis of sources of law in the area of ​​individual and collective labor law
  • 3. Free movement of persons, coordination of social security systems, prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality in employment, equal treatment in employment and occupation, transparent and predictable working conditions, safety and health protection at work
  • 4. Working hours and rest periods
  • 5. Protection of young people at work, protection of motherhood, reconciliation of family and work life
  • 6. Fixed-term employment, part-time work, agency employment, mass redundancies, employee protection in the event of employer insolvency
  • 7. Informing and discussing with employees, temporary posting of employees
Literature
    required literature
  • KOMENDOVÁ, Jana. Prameny práva sociálního zabezpečení (Sources of Social Security Law). In Hůrka Petr, Komendová Jana, Stránský Jaroslav, Smejkal Michal, Halíř Jakub, Kadlubiec Vojtěch, Machálek Petr. Právo sociálního zabezpečení. 1st ed. Plzeň: Vydavatelství a nakladatelství Aleš Čeněk s.r.o., 2023, p. 34-52. ISBN 978-80-7380-912-6. info
  • KOMENDOVÁ, Jana. Základy pracovního práva EU (Essentials of EU Labour Law). 1st ed. Praha: Wolters Kluwer, 2016, 252 pp. ISBN 978-80-7552-286-3. info
Teaching methods
Lectures using a power point presentation, in which students will participate, among other things, through voting applications. Subsequently, seminars using discussion, interactive curriculum, online materials, case studies and independent processing and presentation of jurisprudence. Study of literature.
Assessment methods
Written exam. A test consisting of  15 multiple choice questions. In order to successfully pass the exam, the student must obtain 70% of the points.
Language of instruction
Czech
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