News

On 24/ 25 February 2011, 90 trade unionists and European works councils members from across Europe met to assess their work and to gain more respect for their rights.



It was the first time that a large event of this kind was organised in commerce, allowing workers representatives from companies like Ahold, Auchan, Carrefour, Decathlon, Delhaize, Leroy Merlin, ICA, IKEA, Inditex/ Zara, Metro, P.P.R. / Fnac, Rewe/ Billa and many others to exchange their experiences.



UNI had already organised 3 workshops with them during 2010 in Copenhagen, Berlin and Paris to prepare this event.



Bernadette Ségol, UNI Europa Regional Secretary and ETUC General Secretary designate called for another economic governance to face the crisis, at a time when politicial leaders are putting collective agreements aside. She reminded that EWC workers representatives participate in the general effort to guarantee social democracy.



Expert David Tarren reported about the outcomes of the survey among EWC members: information is weak and consultation is almost non existent. Many workers representatives denounced a paradox between job cuts and workload increase and their companies making huge profits. The organising of EWCs members is a necessity. The most EWC members are union members, the best they function.



EU Commission representative Evelyne Pichot explained to the participants that the “recast” directive on EWCs adopted in 2009 represents an opportunity for an improvement of workers rights at crossborder level.



The conference welcomed Veronica Nilsson, European Trade Union Confederation and Wolf Jäcklein, European Metalworkers Federation for their support to improve coordination among unions and respect of workers’ rights.



Claudia Saller, UNI Europa EWC Policy Officer explained that in March, the Executive Committee will endorse EWC guidelines for workers representatives. Each EWC should have a coordinator, to facilitate the cohesion between workers representatives and to ensure coordination with UNI Europa commerce and its affiliates.



Alke Bössiger UNI Commerce Head of Department and Fabrice Warneck, UNI Europa Commerce Policy Officer highlighted the need to set up more EWCs where possible and to ensure that they become a trade union platform. The coordination between European and Global level should also be developed thanks to the support from EWCs to Global company alliances.



The UNI Europa Commerce Conference, to be held in Madrid on 09 and 10 June, may adopt a resolution on EWCs to fix the strategy to be followed over the next four years.