GRA 6294 Labour Law and Labour Economics

GRA 6294 Labour Law and Labour Economics

Course code: 
GRA 6294
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Kurt Weltzien
Christian Riis
Course name in Norwegian: 
Labour Law and Labour Economics
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Law and Business
Semester: 
2024 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

This course gives a specialization in fundamental aspects of EU labour law and Norwegian labour law and an introduction to labour economics. The course is an elective course in the third semester, and is part of the specialization in labour law, labour economics, and legal tech. The course will provide insight into, and understanding of the legal regulation of employment and labour relations from a European-law perspective.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

After completing the course the candidate shall have advanced knowledge of:

  • Legal methodology and legal sources, including legislation and (collective) agreements in the field and the influence of EU/EEA-law in labour law
  • The ideas and foundations of labour law
  • Fundamental rights in European labour law
  • The management prerogatives
  • The collective rights: The right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, the right to strike, as well as various aspects of the Nordic and Norwegian system of collective bargaining
  • Dismissal protection
  • EU-legislation regarding the rights and protection in the event of transfer of undertakings  
  • Wage formation and compensating wage differentials
  • Discrimination in the labour market
  • The role of trade unions
Learning outcomes - Skills

After completing the course the candidates shall be able to:

  • Work out routines which safeguard the labour law aspects of an employment relationship
  • Solve labour issues, and to see when they face a labour law issue
  • Lead or participate constructively in labour union relations
  • Communicate on labour law issues with both specialists and the general public
  • Analyze wage determination in a given market with and without trade unions
  • Analyze incentive effects of different wage contracts
General Competence

After completing the course the candidates shall be able to reflect upon:

  • The rules and agreements which govern the relationship between the parties in the workplace, and respect them
  • Fundamental rights within European labour law legislation
  • The role of the market mechanism, and of trade unions for wage determinations.
Course content

Labour Law – ideas and foundations; forms of regulation; fundamental principles.

The management prerogatives.

System of labour relations, collective rights, collective bargaining agreements, industrial disputes.

Readjustment and workforce reductions. Transfers of undertakings. Termination of employment contracts – changes and employment protection.

The determinant of wages: Demand, supply, human capital, compensating wage differentials.

The economics of trade unions.

Teaching and learning activities

A variety of learning methods will be used; regular lectures, discussions of cases, group discussions, small test/kahoots, etc. The course is conducted over one semester.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.

 

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
School Exam
Form of assessment: 
Written School Exam - digital
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
  • Digital resource: Lovdata Pro (Digital Exam Mode)
  • Laws and regulations, including offprints of laws and law drafts
Duration: 
3 Hour(s)
Comment: 
.
Exam code: 
GRA 62941
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
36 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
121 Hour(s)
Examination
3 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
160

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.