Learning from each other
As I write this, halfway through March, the COVID-19 outbreak is very real and in full swing. Many European countries, if not all, have taken extensive measures to control the outbreak. Stores, bars and restaurants are often closed. People who can work from home are doing so. Schools and universities have embraced remote teaching. Various countries have gone into lockdown. In these countries, only essential services are still running, often in overdrive.
The first priority is of course to get (some sort of) control over the virus and to defend our health. At the same time, the economy has been shaken and the consequences of this outbreak for our (labour) markets are severe. Many people are not just worried about their health (and that of their loved ones) but also about their jobs. People need jobs for a living and they also need these jobs to feel alive. Therefore, it is great to see how governments are trying to take care of their citizens, and how people are trying to look out for each other.
I hope we are able to work together to fight this disease and take control again. It is a disaster that doesn’t stop at borders. Likewise, our solutions should also be transnational. I hope and trust that the EU can play a positive role in coordinating, trying to find solutions and helping the Member States in need. I hope and trust we can learn from each other, including the various Member States.
While 2019 already seems to have passed ages ago, its topics are still very real. For the third time, our Academic Board has produced a Law Review of the past year. Moreover, this Issue contains some very interesting case reports. Apart from the ever-present issue of equal treatment, fixed-term work has been a hot topic in recent times. In the context of platform work, there is a very interesting article about the new Austrian collective agreement on bicycle deliverers. In short, there is something of interest for everybody.
I wish you all the best and hope for better times soon!
Zef Even
Editor-in-chief