It is again being argued that the low labour costs and social standards in countries on the periphery of the EC - Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain - jeopardise employment in the northern EC countries and the social safety net they have constructed. A common social policy harmonising...

The debate over the completion of the single European market is increasingly centering on its so-called social dimension. Does it make sense to streamline social security in the member states as a safety net against the adverse consequences of the single market?

The globalisation of markets is calling national employment and social legislation increasingly into question, so that not only the international trade union organisations but also the Clinton Administration are calling for workers' rights to be embodied in trade agreements. This article deals...

In the transition from the command economy to the market economy it is becoming more and more urgent for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to readjust their social policies and reorganise their social security systems. In doing so, the conflict between social solidarity and individual...