EUROPEAN WORKS COUNCIL

European Works Council

European Works Council (EWC)

Introduction

This brief is going inform about the legal foundations of the European Works Council (EWC) and these councils work in practice and more generally about the advantages and the disadvantages of working with a European Works Council (EWC).

An important feature of European governance of labor relations, committee work councils of representatives of workers in companies with management consulting, and may even have certain powers of decision. Spend a few ways, but generally regarded as democratic bodies that give voice to the concerns and interests of workers. In its strongest form, Committee says company co-determination right to drive in certain areas of corporate policy. In a broader context, workers' councils conventionally ascribed to the reduction of labor disputes and promote harmonious labor practices, in particular, changes in work (Ramsay, 1997, 137).

In accordance with the laws of the Union with the mid1990s, large multinational companies operating in the EU as a whole, should sponsor a multinational consultation or the so-called European works councils (EEC), which bring together members of the workforce of the company, which operates in these relatively recent works have historical roots in the national and regional councils, which prevailed in some parts of Europe, especially Germany, for decades. Such institutions exist outside of Europe, but the concept is mostly closely associated with European practice. In the United States has been periodic interest in establishing such practices (Roger, 1994, 48).

Works councils in Europe, usually separated from the activity of collective bargaining and to negotiate with, despite the measures taken by the councils can complement the efforts of collective bargaining. Legally, the advice must be formally independent of the industrial unions, creating at least symbolically, the dual system of worker representation. In theory, trade unions have to deal with issues such as wages and working hours, while workers' councils to address such issues as working conditions, safety and health, communications and politics. In practice, however, high percentage (almost three-quarters, according to one study) employees who are representatives of the workers' councils are also actively involved in trade unions and the interests of the two organizations are closely aligned (Rogers, 1995, 256).

Practices of European Works Council (EWC)

A special committee is established when a group of companies form a group consisting of a dominant company and its subsidiaries. The staff delegation is necessarily composed of elected works councils or businesses. This group committee will receive the economic and financial information about the group. Its existence does not relieve companies of their obligation to conduct the election of CE.

Establishment of EWC

A European Works Council is established in large firms employing more than 1,000 employees in the European Union, with two facilities with a minimum of 150 employees located in at least two Member States. This committee operates under rules of its own (Waddington, 2003, 116 ).

Grants of European Works Council

The European Works Council has two separate grants:

Operating grants, paid annually, equal to 0.2% of gross payroll - the contribution to social and cultural ...