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The European Commission appealed to the social partners to negotiate the revision of the EWC directive. If no agreement would be reached within the next week, the Commissions intended to present a draft legislative proposal by the end of June, revealed chief spokesperson Johannes Laitenberger.



On 5 May 2008, the ETUC underlined its decline of negotiations in a letter to President Barroso and Commissioner Spidla. Instead the ETUC expects that the Commission as well as the Parliament and the Council will proof that they are able and ready to strengthen workers rights and the social dimension of the European Union.

Background

In February 2008, the Commission published a Communication to launch the second phase of consultation, and asked the European social partners whether they would be ready to undertake bilateral negotiations on revision of the directive. The ETUC welcomed this move, together with many of the points covered in the Communication, including explicit reference to information and consultation as a fundamental social right. However, it set the condition that a tight timetable be agreed for the rapid conclusion of talks, in order to allow for a decision to be adopted under the French Presidency in the latter part of 2008, and for the revision to be completed within the life of the current Commission and European Parliament.

For its part, BusinessEurope, representing the European employers, has consistently opposed revision of the directive. However, in February it reversed its stance and informed the Commission that it would be ready for talks.

On 11 April 2008, the ETUC General Secretary announced that intensive efforts to find a basis for discussion of key issues had been unsuccessful, and that BusinessEurope was not ready to commit itself to a time schedule of less than three months. In view of this, the ETUC informed the Commission that talks within the framework of the European social dialogue were “not practical”.

Fundamentally, the European trade unions are of the opinion that a revision of the EWC directive would have been desirable within the framework of negotiations and could have strengthened the social dialogue.



It has to be remembered in this context that the directive was not originally a product of the social dialogue. UNICE were not ready to conclude this on a substantial basis at that time. So it was prepared by the Commission and approved by the European Parliament and the Council.



Attached the ETUC letter to President Barroso and Commissioner Spidla.





On the offensive for stronger European Works Councils

On 1 May 2008 the ETUC launched the campaign: On the offensive for stronger European Works Councils. The campaign aims at securing a new and more effective revised directive as rapidly as possible.

To read more, please click here: http://www.etuc.org/a/4949