The Legitimacy of Trade Unions and Employers’ Organizations to Initiate Proceedings Before the Constitutional Court in the Light of the Jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court

Abstract

The control over constitutionality carried out by the Constitutional Court is executed on the initiative of subjects strictly specified within the Constitution. Trade unions and employers’ organisations have legitimacy limited to cases under their spectrum of operation. Increasing number of applications for constitutionality control from trade unions and employers’ organisations makes the tribunal procedural rights of these entities a subject of numerous statements of the Constitutional Court. The following article attempts to present the views of the Constitutional Court in regard to the locus standi of trade unions and employers’ organisations laid down in the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court, and their overall assessment. The organs entitled to tribunal legitimacy are “nationwide trade union organs”. A trade union is a voluntary and self-governing organisation of working people, established to represent and defend their rights, as well as labour and social interests. Other entities entitled to the legitimacy are also “nationwide labour organisation authorities”. The main task of employers’ organisations is protection of rights, and representation of interests, including economic ones, of associated members. In the assessment of employers’ organisations legitimacy, the Constitutional Court developed two concepts: the concept of “exceptional” legitimacy, and the concept of “common denominator”. These concepts justify recognition of the lack of legitimacy. They are not accepted indiscriminately, as they are considered unsupported by resolutions of the Constitution. That conceptualisation narrows the “scope of activity” of trade unions and employers’ organisations, as not all the statutory tasks of these entities substantiate their applicable legitimacy. Although social and economic interests are within the range of activity of entities with special legitimacy, according to The Court, they are not covered by tribunal legitimacy.