News

The workshop took place over four days in the LO trade union training centre in Rűno, Sweden and focused on International framework legislation and national specifics of EWC functioning.



Before the start of the workshop, the Steering Committee held a preparatory meeting within within UNI europa has a seat. Other participants include the chairmans of the GS4 and Securitas EWCs, the Verdi coordinators for EWCs, the EWC coordinator for the Swedish transport union and a member of Brinks and Securitas EWCs. Topics discussed included the workshop’s agenda, a brainstorming session on new project ideas. The success and improvement of a questionnaire for EWC members used to establish company contacts across countries as well as highlight issues in those particular countries. The agenda for the next workshop in Vienna was also discussed including participants and focus on addressing the training needs of the participants.



The workshop ran from Monday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon with interventions from Jean-Claude Le Douaran of the ETUI on the new recast EWC directive, the Swedish transport Union, the G4S chairman on EWC best practices and UNI europa on its role in coordinating EWCs and on the various election procedures of SNB and EWC members. Jean-Claude le Douaran also held a number of training exercises on the current functioning of each of the three EWCs in the Private Security Sector (G4S, Securitas and Brinks) as well as their individual most recent collective agreements. The exercise was also designed to help representatives from companies in the sector who would like to establish EWCs such as the Dussman company, a number of whose members were present.



Conclusions from the workshop included:

· the decision to launch a EU project to create a toolbox for EWC members and which would in doing so also help networking between European, National and Local Works Councils.

· a shortening of the current questionnaire for EWC members to a one page sheet designed to establish contacts and gain information on the various members in the various countries. The longer questionnaire would still be retained but used by EWC chairmen/women to gain more information once the initial contact had been made.

· a draft agenda for the Vienna Workshop which will run from 2-4^th September was agreed with amendments to be sent to the Steering Committee within two weeks. Proposals included inviting an expert of EWC Best Practice from DHL EWC.

· an agreement was also made to pursue ways of using the implementation of global agreements made with the main Private Security sector companies as a way of improving networking and the link between different member countries.