This is a re-issue of a book first published in 1986, which charts the origins of the labour laws of nine European countries: the Member States of the EEC in 1979 - Belgium, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The studies assembled here were originally written by national experts to explain the foundations of their national systems from the beginning of the industrial revolution until 1945. These are not, however, simply historical essays. Instead, they draw upon the writings of historians, sociologists, and other social scientists to explain...

The labour laws of European democracies all underwent major transformations in the seven decades after World War II. Following reconstruction, these laws became an essential element in the building of welfare states. In the 1980s and 1990s, they were the target of neo-liberal deregulation. At the beginning of the 21st century, new 'flexible' labour laws have attempted to integrate economic and social policy. This book compares the similarities and differences in the ways EU Member States reflected and shaped these general developments - in the context of economic, social, and political...

The second edition of this widely-acclaimed book about the UK's Equality Act 2010 -- written by one of its leading architects -- brings forward the story of how and why this historic legislation was enacted and what it means. The book covers the first four years of the law's implementation by the UK Coalition Government and in the courts. It includes an assessment of amendments to the legislation and of the reduction in the powers and budget of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, as well as a discussion of possible future directions of equality law and policy. Equality: The Legal...