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ETUC welcomes the decision of the European Parliament to strengthen rights for European works councils



Regarding the recast of the European Works Councils Directive, the European Parliament confirmed yesterday with a huge majority the political agreement reached with the Council at the trialogue meeting on 4 December. The political agreement is based on the joint advice given by the social partners in August 2008. 

The recast of the directive is aimed at tightening up the definitions of information and consultation of workers. As a first step to facilitate the establishment of European Works Councils (EWC), Members of Parliament (MEPs) abolished the threshold of 50 employees for setting up special negotiating bodies in companies. In addition, the Parliament has clarified the definition of ‘transnational’ – matters which concern the entire undertaking or group or at least two Member States are considered to be transnational.

In line with the general principles of Community law, Member States must ensure that in the event of a failure to comply with the EWC Directive sanctions are ‘adequate, proportionate and dissuasive’.

Due to serious efforts of the social partners and the European Parliament, the Council will finalise the recast EWC directive at its meeting today. Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Reiner Hoffmann, declared: ‘Strengthening the rights of EWC is the correct response to limit the negative impact of the economic crisis. Workers need effective information and consultation rights which give them the chance to influence management decisions in order to anticipate and manage structural change in socially acceptable direction.’

Source: http://www.etuc.org/a/5669