Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 11 September 2014 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Gerichtshof — Austria) — Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund v Wirtschaftskammer Österreich — Fachverband Autobus-, Luftfahrt- und Schifffahrtsunternehmungen
(Case C-328/13) 1
(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Directive 2001/23/EC — Safeguarding of employees’ rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses — Obligation on the transferee to maintain the terms and conditions agreed in a collective agreement until the entry into force of another collective agreement — Concept of collective agreement — National legislation providing that a rescinded collective agreement continues to have effect until the entry into force of another collective agreement)
Language of the case: German
Referring court
Oberster Gerichtshof
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund
Defendant: Wirtschaftskammer Österreich — Fachverband Autobus-, Luftfahrt- und Schifffahrtsunternehmungen
Operative part of the judgment
Article 3(3) of Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees’ rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses must be interpreted as meaning that the terms and conditions laid down in a collective agreement, which, pursuant to the law of a Member State, despite the rescission of that agreement, continue to produce their effects as regards the employment relationship which was governed by them before the agreement was terminated, constitute ‘terms and conditions agreed in any collective agreement’ so long as that employment relationship is not subject to a new collective agreement or a new individual agreement is not concluded with the employees concerned.
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1 OJ C 274, 21.9.2013.