Interview with Ivonne Jackelen, European Association of Services Trade Unions

Question: You have been responsible for the coordination of EWC work at UNI Europe since October 2006. Could you tell us what is involved in your field of activity ?

Jackelen: The holding organization UNI Europe was founded only seven years ago and covers twelve business sectors in total. Despite its complex structure, the cooperation is going quite well. Financial services and the printing industry have particularly long traditions in terms of European Works Councils. They also have the most EWC organisations. Besides the EWC work, I am also responsible for the European public limited company and trade union company politics in the printing and publishing area (under the rubric: Transnational Restructuring).

Question: Where do you lay your main points of emphasis within your work?

Jackelen: Half of my working time is set aside for the printing and publishing industry. This is where I can actively take part in shaping EWC work. In all other sectors I try to provide a general perspective and a transfer of accumulated knowledge. For example directives, which have been developed for EWC work in the area of financial services, can be adapted and made applicable to other sectors; or a method for transnational negotiations be developed at company level.

Question: Where you see particular challenges?

Jackelen: In the IT area: the campaign at IBM plays a central role for the European Works Councils in the complete sector. Training has never been possible for the EWC at IBM because the management blocks it. In the printing and publishing area we continue to meet employers who are hostile to trade unions. Nevertheless we are consistently successful in the foundation and strengthening of European Works Councils. The cleaning and security sector is lagging though. There we are only beginning to make a comprehensive EWC stock-taking.

Question: Are there any positive examples?

Jackelen: Yes, we have for example an active network in intaglio. To make prediction possible, we are in the process of making a database for the entire sector as many restructuring expected. The transformation of the Allianz insurance company into a European public limited company, which was accompanied by a study, has also been important.

Question: What can an EWC member from a company in the service industry expect if he or she consults you?

Jackelen: I can help set up contacts with other countries, including Central Eastern Europe. In the case of the founding of an EWC or the expansion of an EWC to the east, I can support the analysis of the company. I can recommend literature and information from the EWC network of the European trade unions (about court judgements, events etc.) and - importantly - provide a connection to the work of service trade unions worldwide. You can also find a platform to publish important EWC information on our web page. We also support the application for EU money as in the case of IBM.

Ivonne Jackelen (40) studied administration sciences and specialised in international relations in work and social studies in Constance, with study trips to Great Britain and Ghana. After that she managed the DGB education centre Niederpöcking and as of January 2002 she was involved in work with different trade union organisations in Brussels. She took over the coordination of the European Works Councils for the whole of the service sector on 9th October 2006.


Ivonne Jackelen was interviewed by Werner Altmeyer in Brussels on 9th March 2007.