This newsletter in English                   December 28th, 2007 
Dieser Newsletter auf Deutsch

Welcome to issue no. 4/2007 of EWC News.

 

The training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net"

informs you about the activities of European Works Councils and related subjects.

 

EWC News appears four times a year.
You can see the newsletter on your computer screen or download as a pdf file and print it out.

 

You can find past issues in the newsletter archives.

 

  1. Interview with EU Social Commissioner Špidla
 
 

"I attach great importance to the work of European works councils"

 

On October 23rd, 2007 the European Commission decided its work programme for the year 2008. Included is a revision of the EWC Directive as a priority named particularly (see report in the EWC News 3/2007). Which political course has to be expected by the European legislator within the next days and weeks? The editorial staff of the EWC News enquired more exactly with Social Commissioner Vladimír Špidla (photo) in Brussels.

 

Also the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso supported his determination for the revision of the EWC Directive on November 13th, 2007 in a speech in front of the European Parliament. The official text of the European Commission shall most likely be concluded for the consultation of the social partners in the middle of January 2008. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has already called an ad hoc meeting for January 17th, 2008 to discuss the new situation.

New EWC Directive: internal paper has been submitted to the EWC News

 

As already indicated in the last few weeks the European Commission is going to fullfill important demands of the trade unions. Should the employers' federations remain at their rejection and absent themselves from the negotiations, the internal paper of the European Commission can be seen as a raw outline for the text of the new EWC Directive. The following points are contained in it:

  • Strengthening of the EWC information and consultation rights particularly in the context of enterprise restructurings and better possibilities to go to court

  • Incentives to conclude Europe-wide agreements between EWC and central management on the social consequences of a restructuring (compensation agreement)

  • Granting of additional work opportunities e.g. through a second EWC meeting per annum, the enforceable right to training courses, the right of all EWC members to access all subsidiaries in Europe

  • Regulations for the solution of practical problems, e.g. in the event of mergers or the renegotiation of EWC agreements as well as at the first establishment of an EWC

  • Improvement in the interaction between national and European works councils particularly in the event of restructurings and through clear report duties of the EWC members in their countries of origin

The European Commission is apparently determined to put these regulations into operation speedily. It will be exciting whether the employers' federations maintain their denial attitude and limit their own room to move with that. When the EWC Directive was passed in 1994 a solution for negotiations failed, because of the British employers while associations from Germany and other countries were quite open to a pragmatic solution with the trade unions. An EWC Directive negotiated between the social partners could for example provide for an equal arbitration board, which in case of disputes between EWC and central management is precedent to a complaint at court.

Numerous European works councils demand the revision

 

Within the last weeks a variety of European works councils has addressed in writing the European Commission again to stress the demand for a revision of the EWC Directive. Among them is the EWC of Alcatel-Lucent, which in 2006 had failed with its demand to renegotiate its EWC agreement due to the resistance of the central management (see report in the EWC News 3/2006). Below is a selection of the letters:

  2. Basic rulings concerning the right to strike
 
 

In December 2007 two basic rulings which concern the right to strike in the European single market were adjudicated by the European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg within a few days. The judges decided on the cases Viking Line from Finland and Vaxholm from Sweden.

 

Viking Line: Judges strengthen the European social model

 

On December 11th, 2007, the ECJ decided that industrial action is permitted in defence of employees interests even then if it limits the enterprises’ right of establishment in the European single market. Though the strike mustn't be disproportionately, and must aim at the protection of employees rights. The safeguarding of a high social standard is for the good of public interest that is why the right of establishment of an individual enterprise must take second place behind it.

 

The cause is a quarrel between the Finnish shipping company Viking Line and the seafarers' trade union. In 2003 the shipping company had reregistered in Estonia a Baltic Sea ferry which runs between Helsinki and Tallinn and exchanged the crew to lower paid employees. The Finnish trade union could prevent an escape from the existing wage agreement by threat of industrial action and internationally coordinated boycott actions. Against this the shipping company applied for an interim injunction -- though not in front of a Finnish court but at the headquarters of the International Transportworkers' Federation (ITF) in London. The British judges requested a preliminary ruling of the ECJ in Luxembourg whether the right of establishment or the right to strike has to be more highly judged in the European single market (see report in the EWC News 2/2006).

 

This question is decided now. In the opinion of the ECJ it is the task of the courts of the EU Member States to judge the appropriateness of a strike in the individual case. In the case of Viking Line they withdrew the responsibility from the Finnish jurisdiction and assigned it to the British courts. Whether this is advantageous for the employees' side, it remains to wait.

 

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) welcomed the verdict because it highly acknowledges the right of coalition including the right to strike. However it has to be critized that the judges had arranged for strict criteria for cross-border activities. The ETUC will check the reasons of the judgement exactly and examine the consequences for the industrial relations.

 

Vaxholm: Judges limit right to strike

 

In the case of Vaxholm the decision was quite different. On December 18th, 2007, the ECJ judged, that the actions of the Swedish construction trade union were disproportionately against the Latvian enterprise Laval. In 2004 Laval errected school buildings in Vaxholm near Stockholm and paid its Latvian employees according to Latvian rates. Because the enterprise refused to follow the Swedish industry-wide collective agreement, the trade unions organized industrial action and boycott measures. The lawsuit which was triggered off by this went up to the Swedish labour court of justice which called in the ECJ. In a preliminary ruling it should be cleared whether industrial actions are permitted according to EU legislation to force foreign companies to follow the Swedish industry-wide collective agreement for foreign workers on Swedish soil (see report in the EWC News 4/2005).

 

This question is also decided now. The judges confirmed the right to strike, but declared the actions taken against Laval as incompatible with the EU Posting Directive. The trade unions consider the verdict an attack on existing wage agreements and fear an amplified pay dumping. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) expects amendments of the law as a result of this verdict in all EU countries which have transposed the Posting Directive.

 

Study on the right to strike in Europe

 

The European trade union institute in Brussels had presented a study on the right to strike in 30 countries in March 2007. All EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland and Croatia are represented one by one. Which country specific unusual features, which restrictions have to be taken into account? Do special prerequisites for a strike have to be given? The study answers these questions.
  3. New EWC agreements
     

 

Soon three European works councils at Tyco

 

After the splitting up of the American electrical company Tyco in three listed enterprises the EWC set up in 2001 also had to be split up. In February 2007 it met in the old composition, for the last time. The divisions Tyco Healthcare, Tyco Electronics and Tyco Fire & Security and Engineered Products & Services (TFS/TEPS) have been independent since June 29th, 2007. Before the splitting up three new EWC agreements had been negotiated for eight months. As regards to content they almost have remained unchanged, there were merely some technical changes (e.g. for the distribution of seats and the consideration of new EU member states).

 

All three EWC agreements are subject to British law and provide for one annual meeting under the chairmanship of the employer. The employees' side chooses a steering committee of three members. Tyco goes the same way as American Standard with the splitting, where the EWC is also separated in three different committees (see report in the EWC News 1/2007).

 

 

A Spanish water group wants to establish an EWC

 

After the take-over of the British water supplier Bristol Water by the Spanish enterprise Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar) workers' representatives met on November 22nd and 23rd, 2007 in the Catalan capital for the first time to prepare the establishment of an EWC (on the photo the Agbar tower, headquarters of the group and new landmark of Barcelona). Not only a first outline was discussed for an EWC agreement but the nonexistence of a Spanish national works council was also criticised. The labour law in Spain stipulates only local works councils obligatorily. Moreover, there is a considerable delay at the formation of European works councils in Spain. The following texts are only available in German:

 

New EWC in the printing industry

 

An EWC agreement was signed for Chevrillon Philippe Industrie (CPI) according to French law in Paris on December 13th, 2007. The CPI group belongs to the largest letterpress enterprises of Europe with about 4,000 employees in France, Germany, UK, Czechia and the Netherlands and is in the possession of two financial investors. During the two-year negotiations the employers' side had tried to achieve an EWC agreement below the subsidiary requirements of the EWC Directive, which however was rejected by the employees’ side. The following texts are only available in German language:

We have provided further EWC agreements on a separate download page.

 
  4. Participation in the SE
      

 

BASF sets participation standards

 

 

On November 15th, 2007 an agreement on the participation in the future European Company (SE) was concluded for the chemical group BASF in Ludwigshafen (see report in the EWC News 2/2007 on the beginning of the negotiations). Thus the way is free to register the SE at the beginning of 2008 with the register of commerce. On December 5th, 2007 the supervisory board, which consists of only twelve members already constituted itself. Half of it are workers' directors. The European works council existing since 1995 is replaced by a SE works council to which 23 members belong from twelve countries.

 

Paper and synthetic material group as SE

 

The Surteco SE was registered with the register of comerce on November 19th, 2007. The group is resident in Buttenwiesen 
near Augsburg and has worldwide 14 production centres and supplies among others the furniture industry with paper and synthetic material parts. Both, the structure of the Corporate Governance (executive board and supervisory board) as well as the employee participation in the supervisory board remains unchanged. Unlike a German public limited company with more than 2,000 employees the employees' side will keep only a third of the seats in the supervisory board, which is a deterioration of the German participation standard.

 

Raw material enterprises on the way to the SE

 

The recycling service provider Interseroh from Cologne wants to change itself into a European Company (SE) in 2008. The special negotiation body (SNB) meets for the constituting meeting on January 8th, 2008 and will then negotiate an agreement on the participation and on the formation of a SE works council. Interseroh has altogether 1,380 employees in ten EU countries, Croatia and Russia.

The metal wholesaler Klöckner from Duisburg decided on the transformation into an European Company (SE) in September 2007. At present, the preparations are going on for the formation of the special negotiation body (SNB) which shall negotiate an agreement on the participation for the 10,000 employees in 15 countries.

  5. Worldwide social standards
 
 

International antidiscrimination agreement

 

An agreement on the promotion of the diversity was signed for the French food group Danone on June 8th, 2007. When selecting staff worldwide attention shall primarily be paid to different social and ethnic background, different levels of education and disability.

 

Trade union confederation develops a new IFA model

 

On November 16th, 2007 the Building and Woodworker International (BWI) presented guidelines for the conclusion of international framework agreements and a sample text. Untill now such IFAs for the protection of fundamental working normes already exists in 12 worldwide operating groups, among them are IKEA, Farber-Castell and Hochtief.

 

Telefónica renews its framework agreement

 

A framework agreement which guarantees worldwide social standards and a dialog with the trade unions in 19 countries was signed for the telecommunications group Telefónica in Madrid on December 17th, 2007. It is a further development of the code of conduct from the year 2001. Telefónica employs 220,000 people and is besides its home in Spain primarily represented in Latin America. There is only an European works council for the mobile telephone division. It comprises branch offices in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Czechia and Slovakia and was founded 2004 according to British law (see report in the EWC News 3/2004), still before Telefónica bought up the then independent enterprise O2.
  6. Activities of European works councils
 
 

EWC conference for financial service provider in Northern Europea

 

40 workers' representatives met from nine countries in Rimbo near Stockholm from October 21st to 23rd, 2007 to discuss the revision of the EWC Directive as well as activities in the Baltic states and Poland. The meeting had been organized by the nordic federation of the bank, finance and insurance trade unions (NFU). A comprehensive documentation of this and other meetings is available in English on the Internet:

 

EWC regulates posting abroad

 

On November 27th, 2007 the European works council of the U.S. hotel group of Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien, St. Regis) signed an agreement with the central management on financial help in case of posting of employees to another EU country at his meeting in Rome. They receive up to a monthly salary as help when they move and the right to return to their old job within three months. Starwood had founded an European works council according to Belgian legislation in the year 2000.

 

 

European day of action at Unilever

 

About 700 participants from sixteen countries came to the European day of action to Rotterdam on December 4th, 2007. The protests had been organized by the European works council and the trade unions jointly (see report in the EWC News 3/2007) after the announcement of the central management to cut 20,000 jobs. Untill now the EWC hasn't been informed about the planned restructuring correctly.
  7. Challenge merger: current examples
      
 

Mega-merger in the printing industry burst

 

 

It became known on November 7th, 2007 that the Dutch printing group Roto Smeets de Boer wants to take the European branch offices of the Canadian printing group Quebecor and climb to the largest European supplier in the gravure and offset printing. The trade unions expected solid staff cuts in the enterprises involved and forced restructurings in the whole business sector.

 

The EWC of Quebecor was informed about the new situation on a special session in Barcelona on November 23rd, 2007. Within two months negotiations about the extension of the EWC agreement should start in the new enterprise Roto Smeets Quebecor. For January 18th, 2008 a meeting at which the further procedure of the employees' side should be coordinated was called in Amsterdam. But then everything came quite differently because the majority of the shareholders of Roto Smeets voted against the merger at the general meeting on December 13th, 2007.

 

Division sale calls EWC on the plan

 

On a special session on November 27th, 2007 the EWC of Rio Tinto Alcan was informed about the sale of the packing and the machine-finished products division. The 22,000 concerned employees shall receive a job and pay guarantee so the demand of the EWC. In another EWC meeting on December 10th, 2007 local and Europe-wide protests were planned for mid January 2008. The British Australian raw material group Rio Tinto had recently taken the Canadian aluminium group of Alcan and wants to clear up the portfolio now (see report in the EWC News 2/2007).

 

Turkey shall be integrated into the EWC

 

A few days before a trade union network for the packing division (Alcan Packaging) had been founded on November 20th, 2007 in Istanbul. 19 workers' representatives were present from six countries which demanded the inclusion of the Turkish factory near Istanbul in the EWC. Switzerland as a not EU country is already represented in the EWC.

 

Warning about take-over in the shipyard sector

 

The European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) expressed its anxiety about the announced take-over of Aker Yards by the South Korean conglomerate STX on December 7th, 2007. The shipyard group from Oslo employs 20,000 people in Norway, Finland, Germany (Wismar and Rostock), France, Romania and further countries. There isn't any European works council till now yet which could be consulted in the merger case.
 
 

Freudenberg starts an exemplary project

 

While many European works councils are still restricted to their information and consultation rights, single initiatives already point beyond the narrow legal framework. Such an example is Freudenberg, a German group with 33,000 employees, which produces rubber and synthetic material products for industry and final consumers. In autumn 2007 the EWC initiated a Europe-wide project on occupational health and safety: Risk analysis with the help of a safety and healthmapping.

 

More than 30 workers' representatives from Germany, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria and the Netherlands were trained as a health manager for their respective countries on the plenary EWC meeting from November 5th to 7th, 2007. A first mapping took place in the second half of November 2007 in Langres (France). In January 2008 events in the UK and Italy will take place followed by France in February 2008. Later mappings in the Netherlands and Austria will follow. The EWC wants to carry out an evaluation at the end of 2008.

 

The project cannot only contribute to a transfer of "good practice" in occupational health and safety, but also strengthen the cooperation within the European works council considerably. In the interview the EWC chairmane Bernd Schneider (photo) explains how the idea has arisen and what other European works councils can learn from it.

At present, the EWC is negotiating a memorandum with the central management about the framework conditions of the healthmapping. Points primarily important are:

  • The execution of the mapping is made by the employee representation.

  • Health managers shall be qualified by external advisers.

  • The mapping shall fulfil Europe-wide consistent standards.

The mapping concept was developed by Dr Heiner Köhnen and can be obtained by other EWCs through the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net":

 

Worldwide health and safety standards

 

The steel group ArcelorMittal goes beyond Europe. At the world conference of the workers' representatives from 16th to 18th of September, 2007 in Montreal (Canada) it was agreed with the central management to guarantee a higher standard of occupational health and safety worldwide in all 61 locations in 27 countries. A working group ("task force") consisting of trade union representatives and safety experts from the company will be set up, which can look detailed into single locations on all continents in order to remove defects.

 

Workplace health promotion in Europe

 

Measures of workplace health promotion are also supported by the European Commission, among this is the project "move Europe". The toolbox of the European network for workplace health promotion is interesting with tools from 23 European countries in the areas of work and health.
  9. EWC research
 
 

Why are German works councils so hesitant at the EWC establishment?

 

At present, at the institute of sociology of the Technical University of Munich it is examined why German enterprises show an outstandingly high delay at the foundation of European works councils. The research project sponsored by the Hans Böckler foundation is looking for the reasons which arrange for German works councils and employers to take distance of the formation of a cross-border employee representation. Seen as a percentage Germany covers in the active list of the important industrial countries of the EU one of the back places at the establishment of European works councils.

 

The researchers around Prof Dr Rainer Trinczek at first checked the data stock of all German enterprises covered by the EWC Directive and could update the database cultivated by the European trade union institute in Brussels for many years. They found altogether 461 German enterprises in the scope of the EWC Directive for the year 2007 but only 28% have set up a European works council. For comparison purposes: it is already 48% in Sweden and in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Austria about 40%. Germany is twice at the head of the EU with that: there isn't such a large absolute number of existing European works councils in any other country and there aren't so many European works councils not established yet in any other country.

 

The distribution to sectors

 

The 461 German enterprises in the scope of the EWC Directive spread out as follows on the individual sectors:

  • 201 enterprises in the metal industry

  • 77 enterprises in the chemical sector

  • 67 wholesale and retail enterprises

  • 37 enterprises of the food industry and the hotel and restaurant sector

  • 33 enterprises of the building and construction sector

  • 30 textile enterprises

There are already most European works councils in the metal sector (58 German enterprises), however, the backlog is also the greatest there (143 German enterprises). In second place follows the wholesale and retail sector where 49 German enterprises still have the EWC foundation ahead. The proportional delay is the greatest at "other services" and in the transport sector. The study shows over all sectors: the larger the enterprise, the higher the probability that there is an EWC. There still are groups only in the service sector with more than 10,000 employees without European works council.

 

Reasons for the scepticism about European works councils

 

The Munich researchers mention some reasons which possibly play a role for the scepticism of works councils and managers in German companies:

  • Knowledge deficits at the German works councils about the topic on EWC

  • Missing necessity for an EWC, because all information is already available to the German works councils through existing participation committees

  • Opposition at German employers because of high costs and threatening Europe-wide solidarity of the workers' representatives

  • Opposition at German works councils, because its good contacts to the management in Germany could get into danger by foreign workers' representatives

  • Opposition with Anglo-Saxon managers towards participation and works councils

The research project is going on more than two years, definite results therefore cannot be expected before the end of 2008. There is further information on the following internet pages:

  10. Interesting websites
 
 
EU legislation in the labour and social law

On this informative web page explanations are found in eleven languages for the most important legislation of the European Union. The texts are suitable for a short and fast way to enter all areas of the EU legislation. In a special chapter for the social dialog and employee participation legislation on parentel leave, part time work or temporary contracts of employment as well as the most important Directives on co-determination can be found.

EWC information from the Netherlands

With 160 employees the training institution FNV Formaat, based in Woerden (Netherlands), offers a comprehensive supply of seminars and advice for Dutch works councils. Also European works councils based in the Netherlands are supported by FNV Formaat, among other things by an EWC newsletter published several times per year in Dutch and English. FNV Formaat cooperates with the Dutch trade unions federation FNV and is comparable with the DGB-Bildungswerk in Germany. The following texts are available in English:

Trade union network in the road transport

At the beginning of the year 2007 a project sponsored by the EU started with main emphasis on the Baltic states to build up trade union networks in northern Europe. Transport unions from eight countries want thus to support international truck drivers. A website provides information in several languages.

A Belgian website shows bank sins

The Netwerk Vlaanderen discloses on its website which of the big banks working in Belgium violate environmental and social standards by their investment practices in other parts of the world. The business policy of Citibank, ABN Amro, Fortis, ING, Dexia, KBC, Axa and Deutsche Bank, is in the focus. A study of December 11th, 2007 lists violations of human rights. The Netwerk Vlaanderen promotes environmentally and socially responsible dealing with money.

We have arranged numerous further interesting links in a links collection.

 
  11. New publications
 
 

Gender equality as an EWC topic

 

The Social development agency (SDA) in Brussels presented a study on equal treatment of men and women in October 2007. The authors follow the question on how to increase the presence of women in the committees of employee representation and which role European works councils can play with regards to measures of Europe-wide equal treatment for the workforce. 
For this they show exemplary text examples from EWC agreements and antidiscrimination agreements, which were concluded with the help of European works councils, for example in the energy company Areva (see report in the EWC News 4/2006).

 

In German Reingard Zimmer of the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" had published in July 2007 a contribution to this topic in the magazine "Arbeitsrecht im Betrieb":

 

Working cross-border in Middle and Eastern Europe

 

The chamber of labour in Vienna presented a booklet on December 6th, 2007 which gives a summary of rights and duties of employees in the countries Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia. On 164 pages the social and tax legislation as well as labour law of each country is being illustrated. Austria is regarded as a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe and has particularly intensive contacts to the new and future EU member states (see also the report in the EWC News 4/2006). The following documents are only available in German language:

 

Action plan of the European Trade Union Confederation

 

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) presented a booklet on December 7th, 2007 in Brussels which describes its strategy and action plan for the years 2007 to 2011. The action plan had been concluded in May 2007 at the congress in Seville. The main emphases are described on 156 pages: from the social dialog over the labour market and economic policy up to the strengthening of the social dimension of the European single market. One chapter deals with the work of European works councils. The booklet is available in German, English and French.

 

 

Guide to the British company law

 

In the year 2006 the company law experienced the most comprehensive reform in the United Kingdom for 150 years. In principle, the new law ("Companies Act") obliges managements to notice the consequences for employees, community and environment and to give account for it publicly at their decisions. The aim of the guide is to increase the success of British enterprises in social and environmental questions. The authors describe a number of possibilities of political campaigns and legal steps helping the new law to get the success by the use of shareholder rights.
  12. Training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net":
         further examples of our work

 

Intersectoral EWC seminar in Hamburg

 

Works council members met from several economic sectors for the exchange of experience about the negotiation of EWC agreements and about the further strategic development of their European works council from November 4th to 9th, 2007. Organized by the institute to the further education of works councils (ifb) and co-made by the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" a cross sectoral dialog could be carried out in Hamburg. Works councils were present from enterprises of the pharmaceutical and electrical industry, the food production, treatment of water, market research, the wholesale trade, the mineral oil economy as well as from software service providers, banks and motorcar suppliers. To satisfy the growing demand for such intersectoral EWC events, a completely new and extended seminar row has been conceived for the year 2008 (see report in the EWC News 3/2007).

 

 

An Austrian holding starts EWC negotiations

 

Negotiations about the foundation of a European works council start in the Frauenthal group in January 2008. The group is led from Vienna and unites eleven production centres with about 3,000 employees in Austria, Germany, France, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Poland. The main emphases are on the components manufacture for commercial vehicles (feathers, handlebars, catalysts) as well as on sanitary and heating technology. With the help of the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" first cornerstones were discussed for the upcoming negotiations in Kassel from November 14th to 16th, 2007. An important point is the adequate representation of all divisions in the future EWC.

 

 

Employee participation in the port logistics

 

With professional support of the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" the final meeting of the LINKS project (see report in the EWC News 4/2006) took place in the North italian port Livorno from November 19th to 24th, 2007. About 50 participants from seven countries discussed the formation of European works councils in a sector which shows considerable rates of increase and belongs undoubtedly to the globalisation winners. A similar workshop had taken place in Constanza at the Black Sea in May 2007 (see report in the EWC News 2/2007). So far there is for the whole container handling only one single EWC for the company Dubai Ports World (see report in the EWC News 3/2007). The documents of the LINKS project are published on a own website.

 

Legal personality of European works councils

 

On December 5th, 2007 the legal situation of British EWC committees was discussed at the head office of the British TUC in London (see photo). Since a lawsuit in the ferry company P&O in 2002 whose backgrounds the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" is at present analysing there weren't any legal proceedings of a European works council anymore on British soil. Since then, the unsolved issue of the legal status of EWC committees and considerable financial risks have stopped the British trade unions from it, so Sean Bamford, the EWC coordinator of the TUC (also see interview in the EWC News 3/2005). The completion of the report is planned for the beginning of 2008.

 

Restructurings in the rubber and synthetic material industry

 

In the context of a project sponsored by the EU which is conducted from the research institute CESOS in Rome, the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" prepares currently three case studies about the practical influence of German works councils on restructurings (see report in the EWC News 2/2007). To this the group ContiTech was also selected, a high tech division of Continental with seven lines of business in the rubber and plastic materials technology. Before, the packing group Smurfit Kappa and the fork truck manufacturer Kion already were in the centre of the interest. All documents will soon be available on the website of the project.

 

New guide for the EWC establishment

 

The training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net" recently presented a guide which explains the most important aspects at the formation of European works councils: legal questions, steps towards the formation of an EWC, the negotiation of an EWC agreement, the contents of information and consultation rights, the practical work in the EWC and its financial framework conditions. The study was financially promoted by the European Commission and examines particularly the situation using the enterprise examples DHL (Deutsche Post), FedEx, Securicor, TNT, UPS and Wincanton in the postal, courier- and express service sector. It is available in English and French.

In German language we recommend a contribution to the same topic in the "Wirtschaftslexikon für den Betriebsrat", which is published by the professors Thomas Blanke und Thomas Breisig:

 

Contributions in professional journals

 

Two contributions of Werner Altmeyer have appeared in the magazine Personalführung (personnel management): in October 2007 about current developments on EWC advice and in December 2007 a book review about the participation in the European Company (SE). A contribution examined the take-over of the Hilton hotel group by the financial investor Blackstone in the issue October/November 2007 in the magazine Mitbestimmung (codetermination).

You find additional publications at our publication page.

ver.di/GPA newsletter: new issue

On December 21st, 2007 the current issue of the German Austrian EWC newsletter of ver.di and the GPA was published. It contains reports on the revision of the EWC Directive, several initiatives for the establishment of European works councils, the work of the department utilities and waste management of ver.di, European connections of the GPA as well as protest calls against restructurings at Volksfürsorge and at Novartis. Furthermore a country report on the UK, seminar appointments, meeting reviews and literature tips are contained. The newsletter is co-edited by the training and consultancy network "euro-workscouncil.net".
  13. Current seminar appointments
 
 

Registrations are possible for the following seminars and workshops co-made by us:

 

Works council activity in Europe, the Euro works council (EWC)

Europe for trade union officers of IG Metall

Institutions -- Political fields -- European works councils

16 -- 18-04-2008 in Bad Orb

13 -- 15-10-2008 in Bad Orb

→ further information about this workshop

 

In-house events

Please find a survey of the subjects of in-house events here:

→ Topics for in-house training

→ Topics for in-house lectures

 
  14. Imprint
 

EWC News is published by:

 

Training and consultancy network "euro-betriebsrat.de" GbR

Von-der-Tann-Straße 4, D-20259 Hamburg
 www.euro-betriebsrat.de (German)

www.euro-workscouncil.net (English)

www.euro-ce.org (French)

 

Authors collaborating on this issue:

Werner Altmeyer, Carmen Bauer, Heiner Köhnen, Kathleen Kollewe, Reingard Zimmer

 

Distributor of the German version: 9,396 readers

Distributor of the English version: 1,020 readers

Distributor of the French version: 686 readers

 

Newsletter archive: www.ewc-news.com

 

You can obtain or cancel EWC News here.

 

We are always pleased to receive comments and suggestions in relation to this newsletter as well as reports on your EWC activities. Please write us at: info@euro-workscouncil.net