Labour Law
SKW Schwarz advises its clients in all matters of individual and collective labour law.
All issues which directly affect the working relationship between employers and employees, such as employment and employment termination contracts, transfers, dismissals and dismissal protection, are part and parcel of our everyday work. We represent both employers and employees, even though we mostly work for employers.
In collective labour law we deal with all legal questions that arise in connection with employers’ associations and trade unions, collective agreements, strikes and lock-outs and co-determination in firms and enterprises. We negotiate company deals, agreements on reconciliations of interests and social plans and give advice on how to deal best with work and staff councils and mediation bodies. We conduct negotiations with trade unions, in particular on collective wage agreements, at both the association and the company level.
Dismissal protection or collective wage agreements are not the only relevant issues in labour law. In the areas of employee motivation and flexibilisation of working conditions we give advice on the introduction of new salary and target structures and flexible working time models. In addition, we support companies in making applications to the labour administration (for example for short-time work, transfer companies, subsidies, work permits).
While we are not focussed on certain sectors, we have particular knowledge in media labour law (movies, TV, publishing companies etc); since these “tendency” undertakings can claim particular “tendency” protection, numerous exceptions apply in this sector.