Interview with Gernot Hahl, EWC chairman at Linde

Question: Why was a re-establishment of the EWC necessary at Linde?

Hahl: The decisive point was the take-over of BOC on the part of Linde AG in the year 2006. The former European forum of BOC had to be integrated into our EWC. Initated by the former Linde EWC negotiations started at the end of January 2007, we presented a draft and also included the English colleagues of the European forum of BOC.

Question: How did you built up the contacts to the English colleagues?

Hahl: Through IG BCE – since approaches from our side through the British HR management did not go ahead so well, and one had put us off repeatedly, we did not get information either and the communication did not work. IG BCE, T&G, the colleagues of the European forum and we have met and exchanged our ideas. We have noticed fast that the previous mode of operation at the European forum was different than at Linde.

Question: Which topics received special priority?

Hahl: The new agreement was negotiated by the old EWC of Linde, of course with the approval of the English colleagues, because the European forum was dissolved automatically at BOC with the purchase. It was important for the members of the European forum of BOC that they are represented as strongly as possible in the EWC. Our priorities lay primarily with the frequency of meetings, the information exchange and a good relationship on the one hand between the workers' representatives and on the other hand between EWC and executive board. Since the company has its headquarters after the merger in Germany, it is important that the EWC chairmanship remains in Germany to be able to better use the advantages of the German participation system.

Question: What is special at the new agreement?

Hahl: Compared with other large companies it is the impressive number of 28 EWC members. In addition, the agreement permits us three meetings per year which are interpreted simultaneously in nine of the 14 EWC languages. Our documents are also translated into the languages of the EWC members. Furthermore the EWC leadership can meet any time if we consider that it is necessary and exchange views with the management. And: our EWC consists of elected workers' representatives only. Not to forget the training regulations and every member has access to a PC, telephone and fax, the British colleagues did not have this.

Question: How does one obtain such a result at the EWC negotiations?

Hahl: We have negotiated in this way from the beginning and have started out from the standards, which we had before, - orientation point in our demands was always the Works Constitution Act. The German employers' side had limited understanding, the British side held back. However, we would not have accepted another result.

Question: What are the upcoming plans?

Hahl: The constituting meeting takes place in November 2007. We for example do not have contact with Romania yet although we already took care through the trade unions in Brussels. IG BCE is trying to find partners at the moment in Romania which is difficult, though. We will organize a seminar to get known to the industrial relation systems in the countries concerned.


Gernot Hahl (47) is a chairman of the old EWC at Linde. The trained engine fitter works for Linde in Worms since 20 years, at first has started in the gas plant and founded the works council in Worms in 1988, since then he is the chairman. In 1994 he was elected to the central works council and became 5 years later after the outsourcing of the gas division its chairman. Since 2005 he was deputy chairman of the EWC and since January 2007 he is the chairman of the national works council of the Linde group. Gernot Hahl is a member of IG BCE since over 30 years and since 10 years he is a member of the supervisory board of Linde.


Gernot Hahl was interviewed by Kathleen Kollewe on August 7th, 2007.