Business study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business study - Essay Example This paper evaluates the effect that the European Union has on employee relations in the EU member states and specifically the United Kingdom. Organizations and HRM specialists have to realize that laws formulated at the EU level are superior to the domestic laws of the member states. This is relevant to employment legislation just as much as legislation in every other area. What is encouraging is that the EU incorporates the bodies that are tasked with formulating policies in the member states in the making of legislations that affect all the member states. Of course, the British government can continue to make any social and employment laws that it wants to implement domestically if they do not undermine the requirements laid down by the EU law (Morris, Willey, & Sachdev, 2002). Starting from the late 1950s, the European Union has developed with stages of great activity followed by times of standstill. In essence, the Maastricht Treaty of 1991, which altered the issue of the European Economic Community to the European Union, marked the start of an active phase towards a deeper and bigger Europe. In 1992, the European Economic Area was characterized by accord on eastern expansion and 1995 saw Austria, Finland, and Sweden becoming fully pledged members of the EU. The Intergovernmental Conference (ICG) came into effect in March 1996, and agreed at Maastricht to offer prolongation of this active phase (Timming, 2007). The ICG is tasked with a triple mandate of reforming the EU decision-making and organizations, extending EU responsibility for mutual foreign and defence policies, and enhancing collaboration on immigration, safe haven, military and other home affairs matters. At the same breath, the EU needs to go on with balancing common financial interests with national and sectorial economic interests. Central to the achievement of political