Brussels, 25 September 2008
Professor Brian Bercusson passed away at the age of 60 years suddenly but peacefully on 17 August 2008 at his home in Tuscany. He was born in 1947 in Montreal, Canada, and came to the United Kingdom to study law at the London School of Economics in 1967. Professor Bercusson obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge and was appointed as a Research Fellow at Christ’s College in 1974.
Brian’s distinguished career also included an appointment as a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence and a professorship in the Department of Law at the EUI. He was also Chair in European Law at the University of Manchester and then Chair in European Social and Labour Law at King’s College London.
In addition, he worked as a guest professor with the Swedish National Institute for Working Life (Arbetslivsinstitutet) in Stockholm, the Stanford Law School in California and l’Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris, France. He was also a consultant to Thompsons Solicitors in London.
Brian’s death is a tremendous loss for ETUC. He worked closely with the European trade unions for many years. In 1996, with European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) support, and together with other leading European labour law experts, he wrote ‘A manifesto for Social Europe’ with a view to the Amsterdam Treaty reforms which in time triggered the establishment of the ETUI Transnational Trade Union Rights Group – Brian enthusiastically coordinated this group until today. The work of this group of eminent European labour law academics has positively influenced institutional, constitutional and other legal debates at European level for a better Social Europe. The group’s work has included the report on a ‘Legal framework for a European industrial relations system’ (1999), the book on ‘European labour law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights’ (2006) and more recently, the ‘Manifesto for a social constitution – eight options for the European Union’ (2007).
Despite the several setbacks that Europe and, in particular, Social Europe has witnessed in recent years, Brian remained a believer in, and fighter for a strong Social Europe.
A leading European labour law expert, a strong believer in a Social Europe and above all, a warm and charming person.
Brian will be sorely missed.