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Employee representation

Employee representation may be defined as the right of employees to seek a union or individual to represent them for the purpose of negotiating with management on such issues as wages, hours, benefits and working conditions. In the workplace, workers may be represented by trade union and through works councils – or similar structures elected by all employees. EU law has established rights and obligations for employees and their representatives to be informed and consulted via a set of directives that provide for the information and consultation of the workers, at both national and international level.

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Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and focuses on comparative industrial relations, social dialogue and collective bargaining...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (74)

This working paper investigates the practical implementation of the European Works Council (EWC) Directive at company level. It explores the challenges faced by existing EWCs and provides examples of solutions identified and remaining issues from the point of view of both workers and management. In

25 October 2022

Като част от своя мандат да насърчава диалога между социалните партньори, Eurofound наблюдава и анализира развитието на системите на индустриалните отношения на равнището на ЕС и в държавите — членки на ЕС, в продължение на повече от 40 години. Настоящият водещ доклад се основава на дейността

11 December 2020

Megatrends, such as digitalisation, globalisation, demographic change and climate change, are transforming the world of work, with knock-on effects for working conditions and job quality. Against this background, this report examines working conditions and job quality from a sectoral perspective

05 November 2020

The aim of this report is to add to the discussion on how Eurofound can contribute to supporting capacity building of social partners for effective social dialogue. The report includes a review by Eurofound aimed at identifying the capacity-building needs and initiatives of social partners in

10 September 2020

This study examines the interaction between social dialogue practices and human resources management (HRM) policies in European multinational companies (MNCs). It looks at the changing role of HRM and its interaction with European Works Councils (EWCs), which can act as a link between different

16 June 2020

In light of the limited action in many Member States to introduce or review gender pay transparency instruments as recommended, in November 2017 the European Commission announced the possible need for further targeted measures at EU level. This report reviews experiences in four Member States –

07 February 2018

This topical update looks at the issue of employee involvement and participation at work, specifically reviewing recent pieces of research at EU and national level, EU directives, changes in the legal framework, social partner initiatives and debates identified in EurWORK quarterly reports during

25 October 2016

This report maps, analyses and discusses key dimensions and indicators for a comparative framework of industrial relations. It then identifies and assesses existing data sources that can be used to measure the different dimensions of the comparative framework.

30 September 2016

Well-functioning social dialogue is a key component for the successful design and implementation of reforms needed to increase the competitiveness of Europe’s economies and create more jobs. It balances workers’ and employers’ interests and contributes to both economic competitiveness and social

06 September 2016

Online resources results (298)

Railway unions join forces

The rise of a pluralistic railway trade union movement is connected to the political changes that took place in eastern Europe in the early 1990s. Before 1990, there was only one railway trade union, the Trade Union of Hungarian Railway Workers (VSZ [1]). In the transitional period after 1990, two

New Labour Code takes full effect

A new Labour Code has been introduced by Hungary’s government which aims to align the regulation of collective rights with that of contractual individual law enshrined in the country’s Civil Code. The Labour Code, in principle, allows collective agreements, agreements with works councils in

Employers forge ahead in metalwork wage-bargaining

In 2011, the wage-bargaining round in Austria’s metalworking sector was marked by the first strikes for 25 years (*AT1112011I* [1]). At the time, negotiations were being conducted by the six subsectoral employer organisations of the Federal Economic Chamber (WKO [2]) in the metalworking sector, as

Research reveals changes in employee relations

New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD [1]), entitle /Managing employee relations in difficult times/, identifies contemporary trends in people management in the UK. One of the key changes is the increased focus on the individual employment relationship, rather

Unions test business closure law

In 2006, a Norwegian paper and pulp company closed down one of its profitable manufacturing plants. The main reason for the closure, according to the company, was over-production in the pulp and paper market. Shutting down the plant was seen as a way of alleviating the pressure in the market, and

Fresh uncertainty after resolution of teachers’ strike

On 14 May 2012, the Zarasai district association of the Trade Union of Lithuanian Education Employees (LŠDPS [1]) submitted seven demands to Arnoldas Abramavicius, Mayor of the Zarasai district municipality (ZRS [2]). By doing this they initiated a collective labour dispute. [1] http://www.lsdps.lt/

Government includes social partners in labour market reform talks

The deteriorating employment situation in France has prompted France’s Minister of Labour, Michel Sapin, to bring unions and business leaders together to discuss ways of reforming the country’s labour market.

Temporary Employment Act amended

After lengthy tripartite negotiations, Austria’s Council of Ministers agreed in September 2012 to an amendment of the country’s Temporary Employment Act.

Union federation demands above-inflation wage rise

The largest Dutch Trade Union Federation (FNV [1]), has tabled a wage demand of 2.5% for 2013. This slightly exceeds the expected rate of inflation of 2% for 2013. FNV’s draft employment conditions memorandum, which forms the basis for negotiations with employers, differs little from last year’s

Unions pleased at high participation rate in social elections

In Belgium, elections held by a company’s employees to elect members of the works council and the workplace health and safety committee are traditionally referred to as ‘social elections’. All private sector companies employing more than 100 employees are legally obliged to set up a works council [1


Blogs results (1)
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Trade unions in many EU Member States face the issue of declining membership. This is a fundamental challenge for organised labour, but it is premature to speak about the redundancy unions: when it comes to important decisions affecting the workplace, restructuring being one, trade unions remain a

20 November 2019
Data results (1)
24 October 2023
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