Employee representation

Italian trade unions are increasingly addressing the issue of representing their women members, and the three main confederations (Cgil, Cisl and Uil) have set up a variety of specific structures for this purpose. Here we review the various structures established within the unions and outline a

In February 2001, the Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment published the findings of a study into the representativeness of trade unions, prompted by parliamentary questions on the issue. The study indicates that while around a quarter of the labour force are union members, 85% are

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the German system of collective bargaining has seen a continued process of decentralisation and flexibilisation. This process has a "regulated" and an "unregulated" dimension. The regulated dimension has found expression in the widespread introduction of "opening

Trade unions originally developed in Ireland in response to the spread of industrialisation. Many employers in the early factories used authoritarian methods and working conditions were often extremely poor. Individual workers were unable to resist this exploitation, so they organised collectively

In January 2001, the French press reported the content of a leaked memo indicating that the Danone food-processing group is planning to close several biscuit production sites in Europe. This measure is reportedly aimed at improving the profitability of this division, which is nonetheless making

Industrial relations in the Spanish public sector are undergoing change, moving closer to the private sector model, with a greater role for collective bargaining rather than state intervention. This feature examines this process and outlines some key features of public sector industrial relations in

In February 2001, the Institute for Economic and Social Research within the Hans Böckler Foundation (Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut in der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, WSI) presented the first results of its recent /Works Council Survey/ (published in a special issue [1] of /WSI

On 6 December 2000, the Federal Ministry of Labour presented a first draft of legislation [1] to reform the Works Constitution [2] Act (Betriebsverfassungsgesetz, BetrVG) - the law which determines the legal framework for co-determination at the level of the establishment [3] in the private sector