The Principle of Equal Treatment and the European Pillar of Social Rights

Abstract

This article explores the contribution of the European Pillar of Social Rights to the principle of equal treatment. Given that this is an area of EU labour law where there are well-established instruments, it is necessary to consider whether the Pillar makes any significant new contribution. To this end, the article analyses the Pillar’s principles relating to: gender equality and work-life balance; equal opportunities, including the inclusion of people with disabilities; and the fair and equal treatment of workers, irrespective of the type or duration of the employment relationship. It identifies instances where the Pillar moves beyond the standards of existing instruments, as well as examples of the Pillar creating momentum for fresh legal interventions. Yet this is coupled with a tendency to rely upon non-binding instruments and it remains within existing paradigms for regulating the European labour market, such as flexicurity.

Keywords: Equality, European Union, Social Rights, Gender, Work-Life Balance, Non-Standard Work