The Safeguarding of Employees’ Rights Arising from Collective Agreements in the Event of Transfers of Undertakings - Balancing the Tension between Employees’ and Employers’ Interests

Directive 2001/23/EC on the safeguarding of employees’ rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, aims primarily to protect employees from being placed in a less favourable position solely as a result of a transfer of an undertaking. Article 3(3) of the Directive, more particularly, provides that, upon a transfer of an undertaking, the new employer is bound by terms and conditions agreed in collective agreements on the same terms as applicable to the previous employer until the collective agreement terminates, expires or is replaced by another one. This thesis explores the case law of the Court of Justice on Article 3(3) of the Directive, with the aim of analysing how the Court deals with the tension between employees’ and employers’ interests, inherent in Directive 2001/23/EC, and how those interests are balanced. The Court’s balancing of interests is assessed, both in the light of the aim and nature of the Directive and in the light of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Moreover, it is placed in the broader context of the tension between social and economic rights within the European Union. The main conclusions of this analysis are that, overall, the Court is successful in ensuring a fair balance between employees’ and employers’ interests in its case law on Article 3(3) of the Directive. One case, however, departs from this conclusion, as the Court fails to give sufficient weight to the employees’ rights, whether assessed in the light of the aim of the Directive, the Charter of Fundamental Rights or the increased emphasis on social objectives within the Union

Learning difficulties and successes in school : The importance of support

LokaútgáfaÍ greininni er fjallað um stöðu nemenda sem eiga við námsvanda að stríða innan skólakerfisins. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa sýnt að námserfiðleikar eru einn helsti áhættuþátturinn að baki brotthvarfi úr námi. Greint er frá niðurstöðum nýlegrar rannsóknar sem ætlað var að varpa ljósi á hvað nemendur með námserfiðleika telja að hafi haft áhrif á námsárangur þeirra. Byggt er á vistfræðikenningu Bronfenbrenners um gagnvirk áhrif foreldra, skóla og samfélags á þroska og aðlögun barna, og á öðrum rannsóknum sem sýna hvað hefur áhrif á líðan nemenda með námserfiðleika og námsframvindu þeirra. Tekin voru viðtöl við tíu ungmenni sem áttu við námserfiðleika að stríða alla skólagönguna en náðu þrátt fyrir það að ljúka námi í framhaldsskóla. Sjónarmið nemenda sjálfra eru nú í auknum mæli talin mikilvæg og viðtalsrannsóknir undanfarinna ára sýna að mörg börn og ungmenni tjá sig vel um eigin reynslu. Leitað var svara við eftirfarandi meginspurningum: Hver er reynsla nemenda með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu? Hvað stuðlar að jákvæðri námsframvindu á meðal nemenda með námserfiðleika? Í viðtölunum komu fram þrjú meginatriði: a) Erfiðleikar við að fá námsvandann viðurkenndan, b) tilhneiging til að aðgreina nemendur og flokka, og c) hvatning og stuðningur foreldra og skóla sem stuðlaði að seiglu og velgengni í námi. Seigla sem nemendur komu sér upp með stuðningi í nærumhverfinu virtist ráða mestu um aukna trú ungmennanna á eigin getu. Þetta varð til að þeim tókst að ljúka námi þrátt fyrir námserfiðleika. Í greininni er þessum niðurstöðum lýst og loks er fjallað um mikilvægi þess að tryggja farsælt nám allra á jafnréttisgrunni með því að skólar komi betur til móts við þann hóp nemenda sem gengur illa í námi.Education is meant to increase individuals’ capabilities in dealing with challenges in everyday life and enabling them to provide for themselves. In recent years increased emphasis has been placed on equal rights to education for all and the provision of support to students with disabilities. Legislation governing Icelandic primary and secondary education bound these policies in law in 2008. Simultaneous with the policy change there has been an increase in clinical assessments of students with learning difficulties (LD) as well as provision of special educational support. However, scholars have argued that a clinical approach to identifying support needs can lead to undesirable school practices, such as labelling students with LD and segregating them. It may be more useful for schools to adopt a social approach to assessing support needs of disabled students. A social approach seeks to identify and understand students’ situations and looks for solutions and resources in their near environment, recognizing that social factors have an impact on students’ educational development and progress. For a long time students with LD have been defined as a vulnerable group at risk of dropping out of school. Thus it is important to seek knowledge and approaches which support students and increase their chances of completing secondary education. Research has shown that special educational support in compulsory school education and a general studies programme in upper secondary education has failed to prevent students with LD from dropping out of secondary education. Therefore, it is important to provide various types of support for students and thereby reduce the negative impact of risk factors on their education and foster their resilience in tackling the challenges they face. This article discusses the educational position of students who have learning difficulties (LD). Prior research identifies LD as one of the strongest risk factors influencing a high dropout rate in this group. The article discusses results from a recent study in Iceland which looked at factors that have an impact on educational progress from the perspectives of students with LD. The discussion draws on Bronfenbrenner’s systems theory by exploring the influence of parents, school and society on students’ development and integration at school. The discussion also draws on research which has explored the impact of emotional well-being on educational progress for these students. In recent years recognition of the importance of drawing on students’ own perspectives to improve policy and support for students with LD has increased. Interview research shows that a large number of children and young people with LD are indeed capable of expressing their views and experiences in a clear manner. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten youths who had learning difficulties but were able to complete upper secondary school. The main research questions were: What are the experiences of students with learning difficulties in regard to educational support and what contributed to their success at upper secondary school? Three main findings emerged: a) difficulty in getting recognition of the problem, b) the inclination to isolate and label the students and c) encouragement and support from parents and schools promoted students’ success and well-being in education. The results indicate that the educational experiences of students with LD are complex and shaped by many factors in their lives. Schools tend to emphasise clinical approaches to assessing students’ support needs and put less importance on assessing students’ strengths and efforts to succeed. Most of the young people stated that they appreciated receiving clinical assessments as that meant they were able to receive more support in their studies. However, they felt that the assessment also led to labelling and served to isolate them from peers, especially since the support teaching took place in a segregated place. The research results further indicated that the resilience shown by the students in coping with challenges was related to the support they received in their near environment, such as from family and staff at school. Support from their near environment was a key factor in influencing belief in their own capabilities and helping them to complete their studies. This article describes and discusses the research findings, and the important role of teachers and parents for supporting students with learning difficulties in order to ensure educational success and equality.Peer Reviewe

The Popular and the Academic: The Status of the Public’s Pleasure in the Quarrel of Le Cid.

The unprecedented success of Le Cid (1637) triggered a ferocious literary quarrel about the value of the judgement of the least “considerable” part of the theatre audience – the people. This article explains how the social and gendered distribution of the audience in the few Parisian theatres of the period could reveal the difference of the appreciation of various categories of the audience. The article then develops that at this time in France, the notion of the “public” does not refer to the audience but to the res publica, the edifying character of the plays meant to serve the public good. Indeed, the theatre was given a moral dimension, as an heritage to Horace’s Ars poetica in which the role of theatre was to please and instruct.This is followed by a discussion of two aspects of the quarrel. It was first set off by the fact that Corneille with his attitude disrupted the rules of the economy of cooptation in vigour in the Republic of letters, thus deeply shocking his peers. The second aspect of the quarrel pertained to the dramatic rules which were being established at the time. Le Cid transgressed some of these rules, in particular the rule of decorum. But the condemnation of the transgression of these rules put in question their purpose and their value. Corneille maintained that like Aristotle, he was concerned with the public’s pleasure and that Horace’s precept of moral instruction was secondary in theatre.The conjunction of the criticism of peers concerning the non-respect of the dramatic rules and the actual success with the public posed the question of the valid tribunal of literary works – peers or the public. Ultimately, the fact that the play had touched all categories of the audience – the people and the courtiers – facilitated the valorization of the people’s pleasure and the people’s judgement vis-à-vis the peers

U-Pb, O and Lu-Hf isotope ratios of detrital zircon from Ghana, West-African Craton : formation of juvenile, Palaeoproterozoic crust

Detrital zircon were sampled from five rivers in Ghana and they were analysed in situ for U-Th-Pb, O and Lu-Hf isotopes. Based on the analyses, their U-Pb crystallisation ages, δ18O isotope ratio, εHf and Hf-model ages were determined. This provides information about the origin and crustal evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic bedrock in Ghana. The U-Pb crystallisation ages of the zircon mainly range from 2.2-2.1 Ga, with an older zircon subset of ~2.22 Ga making up a large fraction of the Birim river sample (southeastern Ghana). These ages coincide with previously reported ages of volcanic and plutonic rocks in Ghana. Majority of the zircon have positive εHf (0.9-7.1) and relatively short residence time, indicating that they crystallised from juvenile magmas. Four zircon from the Birim river sample, that crystallised at ~2.15 Ga, do however have negative εHf and Archean model ages, suggesting substantial contribution from an Archean crust. Oxygen isotope ratios indicate that influences from reworked supracrustal rocks were minor during the initial stages of magmatic activity, with zircon having δ18O>6.5 being rare before ~2.17 Ga. A correlation is observed between younger crystallisation ages and increased proportion of zircon with elevated δ18O, which might point towards a maturing arc system. Modelling based on εHf and δ18O of the zircon indicates that the contribution from an Archean crust to the magmas was generally less than 10%. Several zircon, particularly from the Ankobra river population, have elevated δ18O and juvenile εHf, indicating rapid reworking of juvenile crust. Oxygen isotope ratios, crystallisation and Hf-model ages of detrital zircon have been used to evaluate the degree of addition of juvenile material to the crust and to model crustal growth throughout the geological record. Hf-model ages of the zircon that are reported here fall within a period when reworking of crust exceeds additions of new crust, as indicated by the detrital zircon record. This does not agree with the juvenile nature of the Birimian crust. Adding the data reported here to a dataset that was used for a previously established crustal growth model, has limited effect on the shape of the crustal growth curve, but suggests that the extent of reworking and recycling might be slightly overestimated in the Proterozoic

Constant stress, fear and anxiety : the experience of Icelandic women who have lived in domestic violence during pregnancy and at other times

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að ofbeldi hefur mjög mikil, víðtæk og langvinn áhrif á konur og börn þeirra. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að dýpka þekkingu og auka skilning á líðan íslenskra kvenna sem orðið hafa fyrir ofbeldi á meðgöngu. Rannsóknaraðferðin var Vancouver-skólinn í fyrirbærafræði sem hentar vel til að rannsaka mannleg fyrirbæri í þeim tilgangi að bæta mannlega þjónustu eins og heilbrigðisþjónustuna. Tekin voru 15 viðtöl við 12 konur á aldrinum 18 - 72 ára, meðalaldur þeirra var 37½ ár. Niðurstöður lýsa mikilli streitu hjá konunum og börnum þeirra. Andlegt ofbeldi byrjaði strax í samböndum þeirra, oft án þess að þær áttuðu sig á því. Í kjölfarið sættu konurnar ýmist líkamlegu, kynferðislegu eða fjárhagslegu ofbeldi. Þegar konurnar urðu barnshafandi versnaði ástandið enn frekar því þær festust í sambandinu og upplifðu mikið tillitsleysi og jafnvel ofbeldisfullt kynlíf. Þær höfðu lítið sjálfsálit og voru hræddar um sig og börn sín, fædd og ófædd. Allar konurnar bjuggu við mikla lítilsvirðingu af hálfu maka en upplifðu mikla skömm tengda ofbeldinu. Konurnar fá enn þungbært endurlit og martraðir jafnvel mörgum árum eftir að ofbeldissambandinu er lokið. Börn þeirra urðu öll vitni að ofbeldinu og báru þess merki. Fagfólk verður að þekkja einkenni og úrræði heimilisofbeldis til að geta aðstoðað konur sem eru í slíkum aðstæðum og minnka þar með hættu á langvarandi áhrifum á móður og barn.Studies indicate that domestic abuse seriously impacts well-being and general health of women and their children. The purpose of this study was to increase the knowledge and deepen the understanding of domestic abuse during pregnancy and at other times. The research method is a qualitative, phenomenological method, known as the Vancouver School of doing Phenomenology. Twelve Icelandic women, aged 19 -72, mean age 37 ½, with a history of domestic abuse participated in the study and were interviewed once or twice, in all 15 interviews. Results of this study show that living in an abusive relationship involves a great deal of stress and does have serious consequences. The abuse started as soon as the relationship began, first emotionally then physically, sexually or financially. All the women felt they didn’t have any respect in their homes but felt ashamed because of the abuse. When they got pregnant the situation worsened and they felt that they were stuck in the relationship. They experienced lack of consideration sexually and even violent sex. The women still have traumatic flashbacks and nightmares even many years after the abusive relationship has ended and they have suffered from anxiety and depression as well as lack of self-confidence. All their children witnessed the abuse and were seriously affected. Increased knowledge and understanding of domestic violence during pregnancy is important for midwives and other health professionals so they can identify the symptoms and consequences of abusive relationships and help women in time to prevent long-term consequences for mother and child

Children‘s experiences of foster care and schooling

Börnum sem geta ekki dvalið hjá foreldrum sínum vegna erfiðra aðstæðna er jafnan komið í fóstur á einkaheimili fyrir tilstilli barnaverndarnefnda. Markmiðið er að búa barninu tímabundið tryggar uppeldisaðstæður eða að koma því varanlega fyrir þegar ekki þykir unnt að bæta aðstæður þess með öðrum hætti. Til fósturráðstöfunar er því einkum gripið þegar talið er að líkamlegri eða andlegri heilsu barnsins eða þroska þess sé hætta búin vegna framferðis foreldra eða vegna hegðunar barnsins. Rannsóknir staðfesta að námsgengi fósturbarna er oft slæmt, óstöðugleiki í fóstri hefur neikvæð áhrif og samráði við börn um ákvarðanir í málum er oft áfátt. Þessi grein fjallar um rannsókn á fóstri barna og skólagöngu. Markmiðið var að athuga reynslu viðmælenda af fósturdvöl og skólagöngu, m.a. hvort þeir teldu að haft hefði verið samráð við þá um ákvarðanir. Um var að ræða viðtalsathugun með þátttöku- og barnmiðuðu sniði, þar sem reynt var að veita viðmælendum talsvert sjálfdæmi um tilhögun viðtala. Rætt var við fjóra unglinga á aldrinum 14 til 16 ára. Sumir höfðu dvalið á víxl í fóstri eða hjá foreldrum. Í niðurstöðum vöktu áföll og tíð skipti um skóla einna mesta athygli og það beindi meðal annars athygli að óstöðugleika fóstursins. Hvert barn hafði sótt 4–5 skóla. Á þeim tíma þegar rannsóknin var gerð höfðu börnin alls skipt um skóla 26 sinnum og lent í ýmsum vanda, t.d. einelti og óréttmætum ásökunum. Reynsla fósturbarnanna af skólagöngu var með ýmsu móti. Samvinna var nokkur milli skólans og barnaverndarnefndar sveitarfélagsins en samráð við börnin lítið og vinnuaðferðir virtust ekki efla þau nema að litlu leyti. Erfitt reyndist að finna börn til að ræða við og strandaði þar mest á milliliðum sem þurfa að leyfa slíkt. Rannsóknin náði til fárra og var markmiðið því ekki að alhæfa um niðurstöður. Í ljósi þeirra má þó álykta að barnaverndarnefndir og skólar þurfi, a.m.k. stundum, að skilgreina betur frumkvæði, tryggja fósturbörnum meira öryggi og treysta betur námsgengi þeirra. Þess er vænst að niðurstöðurnar geti nýst til að efla menntun fósturbarna.Child protection committees place children in foster care due to difficult conditions in their parental home. The goal of this measure is to safeguard children’s situation and upbringing, either temporarily or permanently, when other special measures do not suffice. Foster care placements are used by child protection authorities if a child may be physically or mentally endangered by the parent’s situation or by the child’s own behaviour. Research generally shows poorer educational outcomes for children in foster care than for other learners. Findings also confirm that placement disruption and breakdown negatively affects children’s well- being and schooling. Studies of case handling in child protection show lack of children’s participation in decision making which goes against the participation principle in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This paper reports on a study of children’s own experiences on foster care and schooling. It aimed in particular at exploring whether the children under study had been consulted and empowered by child protection and educational professionals who handled their matters. The sample was recruited through child protection authorities. Finding interviewees proved to be time consuming and complicated, mostly due to lack of assistance and because gatekeepers were reluctant to grant access. The research was conducted by using child-focused interview methods. Open questions were used to enable the children to talk freely and adjust the interviews to a certain extent. Pictures, signs and conversation cards were applied to encourage the children to participate actively in dialogues. Four foster children were interviewed; two boys and two girls, all 14-16 years of age. Questions mainly concerned well-being in foster care, albeit some were retrospective in order to contextualise the accounts. The children stayed temporarily or permanently in foster care while attending primary school. They had earlier lived in various parts of Iceland and had to attend school geographically far away from their homes, parents and families. Their case handling was under the jurisdiction of various child protection authorities in different regions of the country. Some children moved temporarily from the foster home to the parental home and returned later to the same or another placement. The number of attended schools was a significant issue. During years of primary school each child had changed school 4 – 11 times and in total the children had attended seventeen schools. The children’s experiences varied, both in temporarily and permanent foster care. For instance, one boy in permanent care, where stability and good daily care dominated, was reported as being content and comfortable, while one girl where placements were disrupted was repeatedly sexually abused. The children had learning difficulties, physical and behavioural problems, were mobbed by peers and some met with unreasonable accusations. There had been some cooperation between the schools and the child protection authorities, but none of the children were consulted which deprived them of the opportunity to influence their own situation. Those who faced problems did not obtain a spokesman who could listen and explain the reasons behind foster arrangements or other practicalities. For instance, one girl’s request for a spokesman, a service to which she was entitled according to the Icelandic Child Protection Act, was repeatedly denied. This study was based on a small sample which provided no ground for generalization and limits definite conclusions. However, the experiences of the interviewees on foster care and schooling enable deeper understanding of the issue, in particular as it is under-researched in Iceland. The findings indicate that schools should enhance safeguarding measures of children in foster care. Professionals also need to attend more carefully to educational needs of children in foster care. Furthermore, clear goals need to be introduced in regard to cooperation of educational and child protection authorities and the same is true for procedures concerning school attendance of children placed in foster care. According to this study and other research referred to in the article, these recommendations may be important preconditions for coping effectively in adult life.Peer Reviewe

Jafnvægistruflanir hjá öldruðum : greining og meðferð

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenByltur eru algengar meðal aldraðra og má ætla að þriðji hver einstaklingur yfir sjötugt detti einu sinni eða oftar á ári hverju. Líkur á byltum aukast enn frekar með hækkandi aldri. Afleiðingar byltna geta verið ýmsir áverkar og brot, sérstaklega ef beinþynning er einnig til staðar. Í kjölfarið kemur oft kyrrseta og skert færni vegna ótta við að detta aftur. Í þessari grein verður fjallað um byltu- og beinverndarmóttöku öldrunarsviðs LSH Landakoti og þátt sjúkraþjálfara í greiningu og meðferð aldraðra með jafnvægistruflanir

Dipolar particles in a double-trap confinement: Response to tilting the dipolar orientation

We analyze the microscopic few-body properties of dipolar particles confined in two parallel quasi-one-dimensional harmonic traps. In particular, we show that an adiabatic rotation of the dipole orientation about the trap axes can drive an initially non-localized few-fermion state into a localized state with strong inter-trap pairing. For an instant, non-adiabatic rotation, however, localization is inhibited and a highly excited state is reached. This state may be interpreted as the few-body analog of a super-Tonks-Girardeau state, known from one-dimensional systems with contact interactions

Öndunarhreyfingamælirinn ÖHM-Andri og rannsóknir

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenFyrir allmörgum árum var byrjað að þróa öndunarhreyfingamæli á Landspítala-háskólasjúkrahúsi sem kallað er ÖHM-Andri eða á ensku RMMI (Respiratory Movement Measuring Instrument). Í þessari grein verður fjallað um uppbyggingu tækisins, hvað það mælir, um notagildi þess og rannsóknir þar sem tækið hefur verið notað. Þróunarsagan verður einnig lítillega rakin en frekari upplýsingar má finna í afmælisriti FÍSÞ eða grein í tímaritinu Lifandi Vísindi 2. tölublaði 2002

Þarf ég að bíða lengi? : innleiðing fimm flokka forgangsröðunarkerfis á slysa- og bráðadeild Landspítala

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn Skoða/Opna(view/open)Við erum stödd á biðstofu bráðamóttöku. Þar sitja 25 manns á öllum aldri. Einn er með blóðugar umbúðir á höfði, annar gengur órólegur um gólf og úti í horni situr kona sem er föl og veikindaleg útlits. Allir hafa beðið í einhvern tíma eftir að komast inn á deildina. Þeir sem hafa beðið lengst eru búnir að bíða í tvo klukkutíma. Áhyggjufull kona er að tala við móttökuritarann og segir eiginmann sinn mjög veikan og hann verði að komast næst að. Vitað er af sjúkrabílum á leiðinni með tvo einstaklinga úr bílslysi. Læknavaktin hringir inn tilkynningu um sjúkling með háan hita og hugsanlega lungnabólgu