Order — ECLI:EU:C:2013:149
Date: 2013-03-07
Language of the case: Portuguese
Court formation: Sixth Chamber
Subject matter: Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties;Anti-discrimination;Fundamental rights
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling - inadmissible
Origin: Portugal

Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal do Trabalho do Porto (Portugal) lodged on 8 March 2012 - Sindicato dos Bancários do Norte and Others v BPN - Banco Português de Negócios, SA (Case C-128/12) Language of the case: Portuguese Referring court Tribunal do Trabalho do Porto Parties to the main proceedings Applicants: Sindicato dos Bancários do Norte, Sindicato dos Bancários do Centro, Sindicato dos Bancários do Sul e Ilhas, Luís Miguel Rodrigues Teixeira de Melo Defendant: BPN - Banco Português de Negócios, SA Questions referred 1. Must the principle of equal treatment, from which the prohibition of discrimination derives, be interpreted as being applicable to public sector employees? 2. Is the salary cut made by the State, by means of the Lei do Orçamento de Estado para 2011, applicable only to persons employed in the public sector or by a public undertaking, contrary to the principle of prohibition of discrimination in that it discriminates on the basis of the public nature of the employment relationship? 3. Must the right to working conditions that respect dignity, laid down in Article 31(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,  be interpreted as meaning that it is unlawful to make salary cuts without the employee's consent, if the contract of employment is not first altered to that effect? 4. Must the right to working conditions that respect dignity, laid down in Article 31(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, be interpreted as meaning that employees have the right to fair remuneration which ensures that they and their families can enjoy a satisfactory standard of living? 5. As a salary cut is not the only possible measure and is not necessary and fundamental to the efforts to consolidate public finances in a serious economic and financial crisis in the country, is it contrary to the right laid down in Article 31(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to put at risk the standard of living and the financial commitments of employees and their families by means of such a reduction? 6. Is such a salary cut by the Portuguese State contrary to the right to working conditions that respect dignity in that it was unforeseeable and unexpected by the employees? ____________ 1 - OJ 2000 C 364, p. 1.