Core and Contingent Work in the European Union: A Comparative Analysis

Labour and social security law studies have addressed the topic of the decline of the standard employment relationship mainly from the point of view of the growing number of atypical relationships. Only a limited number of studies have examined the issue from the perspective of the differentiation between core and contingent work. Such an examination is necessary as the increase in contingent work leads to complicated legal questions which vary between European states depending on the type of contingent arrangements that have become most prevalent. This book analyses, using a comparative approach, these different types of contingency from a national and EU perspective touching on the work relationship from a labour as well as a social security point of view. The aim of the book is to identify and analyse those questions adopting an innovative approach and to put forward proposals for safeguarding social cohesion within undertakings and European society.

Edoardo Ales is Full professor of Labour Law at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio (Italy). He also teaches at LUISS – G. Carli Rome (Italy) and at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria). He is member of the Scientific Committee and National Expert for Italy of the European Centre of Expertise for Labour Law (former ELLN). He is also National Expert for Italy in MoveS and member of the EWL. He is author of several books and essays in peer reviewed journals.

Olaf Deinert studied laws at Bremen University from 1989 to 1994, Ph.D. thesis at Rostock University from 1994 to 1998, second examination after legal clerkship in Berlin in 2000. From 2000 to 2004, Olaf Deinert was scientific staff member at Rostock University. In 2004, he took up a junior professorship at Bremen University for civil law and labour law and was awarded his Habilitation in 2006 (University of Rostock). Since 2008, he is Professor for civil law, labour and social law at Göttingen University and honorary judge at the Federal Labour Court.

Jeff Kenner is Professor of European Law at the University of Nottingham.