An increasing number of employee representatives is getting challenged by implications of transnational corporate structures. Our trainers and advisers assist with targeted and strategic support to national workplace representatives and European works councils. Our programme includes advice and training in addition to research, presentations and publications.

Since January 2001 you can find at our Web page services for:

Workplace representatives

European works councils (EWC) and special negotiating bodies (SNB)

Employee representatives in supervisory boards and workers' directors

Trade union officers

Open-minded human resources managers.

News for the revision of the EWC Directive:

On April 11th, 2008 the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) turned down the employers' organisations offer to engage in negotiations on the content of the new EWC Directive. Reason: the ETUC fears a temporal spreading in the legislation procedure by the employers. Shall immediately act the European Commission instead and present a proper draft of the new Directive. The employers' confederation BusinessEurope reacted only the same day by demanding the European Commission not to introduce unilateral measures and to bring trade unions to the negotiating table.

→ ETUC press release from April 11th, 2008
→ ETUC letter to Social Commissioner Vladimír Špidla from April 11th, 2008
→ Letter from BusinessEurope to Social Commissioner Vladimír Špidla from April 11th, 2008
→ The events within the days before (Report in the EWC News 1/2008)
→ Detailed documentation of the revision process since 1999

You want to be informed on a regular basis?

Our German-language professional information service deals with issues around the European works council and related subjects. We send this free newsletter four times a year, an English version ("EWC News") is available since 2007.
→ Newsletter archives      → Registration

Background Information: What is a European works council? See the European industrial relations dictionary, an online reference tool  →  read the definition EU Enlargement – What does this mean for the EWC?  →  more Interviews: Gernot Hahl, EWC chairman at Linde Group   → read this interview Manfred Monjé, EWC secretary at Hilton Hotels Group   → read this interview Vladimír Špidla, EU Social Commissioner, Brussels   → read this interview Bernd Schneider, EWC chairman at Freudenberg   → read this interview

New publications:

Guide to establish European Works Councils
With special regards to the postal-, courier- and express service sector

This guide explains the most important aspects at the formation of European works councils: legal issues, steps towards the formation of an EWC, the negotiation of an EWC agreement, content of information and consultation rights, the practical work in the EWC and its financial framework conditions. The study was financially promoted by the European Commission and examines particularly the situation in the postal, courier- and express service sector using the examples of DHL (Deutsche Post), FedEx, Securicor, TNT, UPS and Wincanton.
→ Download this guide



Case study: Dubai Ports World
The agreement to establish an European Works Council

This case study assesses the new EWC agreement signed in May 2007 and the practice in the British company Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation (P&O) before and after the take over by the arabian group Dubai World. It includes the transcript of proceedings of a court case in London concerning the legal personality of the former P&O EWC. The study was produced with support from the European Commission as part of the "LINKS" project ("Possibilities and Limitations for European Works Councils in the Port Sector").
→ Download this case study

→ More special literature

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More Interviews of our newsletter redaction:

Gérard Patot, EWC chairman at EADS → read this interview		Ivonne Jackelen, EWC coordinator of the trade unions in the services sector (UNI) → read this interview
Sean Bamford, EWC coordinator of the British TUC → read this interview		Simon Cox, EWC coordinator of the food and tourism trade unions (EFFAT)    → read this interview
Prof Dr Jeremy Waddington, EWC researcher, University of Manchester, UK → read this interview		Reiner Hoffmann, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) → read this interview