Power for EWCs to shape change 

On the offensive for stronger European Works Councils 

European Works Councils - a UNI-Europa report 

Unions from across Europe have launched a major campaign to support a long overdue revision of the 1994 European Works Council directive. The aim is to give EWCs effective rights to information and consultation - in time to affect major corporate decisions that have serious effects on the lives of workers.

 

Since 1994 Europe has been transformed by corporate re-structuring, outsourcing (de-localisation) and ever bigger mergers and acquisitions. All this against a background of a single European market in an increasingly global economy with global supply chains.

 

In proposing revisions the European Commission acknowledges the important role that EWCs can play in “anticipating and managing change”.

 

The European Trade Union Confederation and the European union federations - including UNI-Europa – are running a joint campaign aimed at national governments, the Commission and the European Parliament. The target is substantive agreement by the end of this year - in the face of what is expected to be stiff opposition from the employers’ BusinessEurope.

 

Read the whole Report here: