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Judgment Analysis: Case C‑322/23 [Lufoni]
Case Reference
Case Number: C‑322/23 [Lufoni]
Court: Court of Justice of the European Union, Seventh Chamber
Date: 17 October 2024
Language of the Case: Italian
Subject Matter
- Social policy
- Directive 1999/70/EC on fixed-term work
- Employment conditions for fixed-term workers in the public sector, specifically teachers
Framework Agreement Provisions
Clause 3
Defines key terms:
- Fixed-term worker: A worker with a contract whose end is determined by objective conditions such as a specific date, task completion, or event occurrence.
- Comparable permanent worker: A worker with an indefinite contract performing the same or similar work, considering qualifications and skills. If no such worker exists in the establishment, comparisons are made based on applicable collective agreements or national law.
Clause 4
Addresses treatment and qualifications related to fixed-term workers:
- Clause 4(1): Fixed-term workers should not be treated less favorably than comparable permanent workers solely because of their fixed-term contracts, unless justified by objective grounds.
- Clause 4(4): Period-of-service qualifications for specific employment conditions must be equivalent for fixed-term and permanent workers, except where justified by objective grounds. This ensures that differences in service recognition are not discriminatory.
Italian National Legislation Analyzed
The judgment examines several Italian laws in relation to the framework agreement:
- Legislative Decree No 297/1994:
- Article 485(1): Recognizes fixed-term teaching service as permanent employment for legal and salary purposes: fully for the first four years, two-thirds thereafter for legal and salary purposes, and one-third solely for salary purposes.
- Article 489(1): Defines a full academic year of service based on duration criteria set by the educational system.
- Law No 124/1999:
- Article 11(14): Specifies conditions under which fixed-term teaching service is considered a full academic year.
- Presidential Decree No 399/1988:
- Article 4(3): Details the reinstatement of service periods for salary purposes upon reaching certain years of service.
Key Findings of the Judgment
Interpretation of Clause 4
The Court interpreted Clause 4 of the framework agreement to prohibit national legislation that imposes more restrictive conditions on the recognition of fixed-term service periods compared to permanent service. Specifically:
- National laws limiting the recognition of service beyond two-thirds after four years are precluded.
- The reinstatement mechanism under Article 4(3) of Presidential Decree No 399/1988, which restores only one-third of the service period for salary purposes after a prolonged period, does not justify the initial limitation imposed.
Preclusion of National Legislation
The Court ruled that:
- Clause 4 precludes national legislation that restricts the recognition of fixed-term service periods in permanent employment to two-thirds beyond four years.
- The subsequent reinstatement of the remaining one-third solely for salary purposes does not satisfy the prohibition against less favorable treatment.
Discrimination Assessment
The difference in treatment between fixed-term and permanent workers must be assessed based on comparable situations and cannot be justified by general national norms. Objective grounds must be specific and verifiable at the time of assessment.
Conclusion of the Judgment
The Court concluded that:
- Clause 4 of the framework agreement on fixed-term work prevents Italian national legislation from limiting the recognition of fixed-term teaching service to two-thirds for service periods beyond four years.
- The reinstatement provision in Article 4(3) does not provide sufficient objective justification to override the framework agreement’s protections against discriminatory treatment.
Implications
This judgment reinforces the EU framework agreement’s stance against less favorable treatment of fixed-term workers in the public sector, ensuring greater parity with permanent workers in the recognition of service periods.[:]
