The Federal Constitutional Court dismissed a constitutional complaint concerning the law aimed at safeguarding employee rights in the meat industry. This decision was announced by the judges in Karlsruhe on Wednesday.
The complainants had challenged the fine-backed prohibition on external personnel and cooperation agreements within the scope of slaughtering, dismembering, and meat processing. Since January 1, 2021, workers cannot be employed for core tasks using contract-for-work agreements, and as of April 1, 2024, the use of temporary labor is also completely banned.
The court ruled that this ban is compatible with the professional freedom of companies in the meat industry. The infringement on professional freedom is deemed justified by high-level interests related to occupational safety and health, which outweigh other considerations in the overall assessment.
The panel emphasized that the legislation responds to serious violations of regulations concerning working time and occupational safety within the meat industry. They concluded that the provision is “suitable, necessary, and especially proportionate” for promoting occupational and health protection. Furthermore, the court stated that the legislature did not overstep its assessment and design latitude, as it was able to rely on findings from various monitoring activities and projects.
