Regeling v Bestuur van de Bedrijfsvereniging voor de Metaalnijverheid (1999) C-125/97 is a European insolvency law and labour law case, concerning the protection of employees' salaries on their employer's insolvency.
He received sporadic pay from January 1991 until August 1991 when with notice the contract was terminated and the employer went bankrupt.
The European Court of Justice held that Mr Regeling still had a good claim, because the employers late payments should be set off first against the outstanding wage debt.
20 The guarantee institutions are required, in principle, in accordance with Article 3(1) of the Directive, to guarantee payment of employees' outstanding claims relating to pay for the period prior to a given date.
As the Advocate General observes at point 45 of his Opinion, that provision must be construed narrowly and in conformity with the social purpose of the Directive, which is to ensure a minimum level of protection for all workers.