A list of existing EWCs can be called up in the accompaniment to this page. Because of the dynamic development of the tourist industry, with its ongoing restructurings and changes of ownership, these lists do not claim to be exhaustive.
ESTABLISHING A EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCIL
A European Works Council can be established in Companies with at least 1000 workers operating Europe-wide and where at least 150 workers are employed in at least two EU States. There are already European Works Councils in many Companies in the industry; we want to contribute to closing the gaps which still exist.
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The European Trade Union Confederation maintains an extensive internet site with all the information required for the establishment of a European Works council.
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As well as the formal precondition of minimum number of workers, a
further condition is that the application for the establishment of a
European Works Council is submitted to the Company’s management by
workers or their representatives from two EU Member States. The process
itself is legally very complex: expert advice is absolutely
necessary.
The varying structures of workers’ representation in individual EU
countries and the few cross-border contacts between workers also make
it clear that nothing will work in this process without qualified
advice. The responsible national trade unions, in cooperation with
their European trade union federations EFFAT, ETF and Uni-Europe,
support the process of initiation and establishment of new European
Works Councils by using their know-how and Europe-wide contacts.
The procedure for setting up an EWC has two stages: first the agreement
for the establishment of a European Works Council is worked out with
central management by a special negotiating body, and then in the
second stage the EWC is appointed.
The general legal basis is European Union Directive 94/45/EC of 22
September 1994. This gives the negotiating partners the opportunity of
determining the EWC’s structures and contents relatively freely. In so
far as there are no other agreed rules, the legal provisions of the
country in which the Company has its headquarters will apply in each
case.