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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)

Previous Eurofound research developed three complementary tools to examine the dynamics of industrial relations and compare how national industrial relations systems are faring in terms of quality and change over time.

05 December 2023

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

U okviru svojeg mandata, koji uključuje i obvezu promicanja dijaloga među socijalnim partnerima, Eurofound već dulje od 40 godina prati i analizira promjene u sustavima radnih odnosa na razini EU-a i njegovih država članica. Ovo se ključno izvješće temelji na radu Eurofounda u tom području tijekom

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)

Study examines developments in union membership, 1980-96

The latest data available on the membership of Italy's main three trade union confederations show a slight increase in 1995 and 1996, after a period of decrease. This positive trend, however, is due to enrolments of retired workers, while membership among active workers is still diminishing, though

Working Conditions Bill aims to decentralise policy to company level

In February 1998, a legislative proposal to amend the Working Conditions Act was submitted to the Upper (Second) Chamber of the Dutch Parliament. The Government aims to ensure that the implementation of its policy on working conditions is carried out at company level as far as possible.

Government proposes employee consultation reforms

On 16 February 1998, Ian McCartney MP, Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), launched a public consultation exercise on government proposals for new rules on consulting representatives of employees affected by redundancy or a change in ownership of the business for which

IG Metall membership falls yet again

Total membership of the world's largest sectoral free trade union, the German metalworkers' union, IG Metall, stood at 2.7 million on 31 December 1997, a fall of 960,000 (or 27%) since 1991. For the first time since German unification, annual membership figures have now fallen below the 1989 pre

Union recognition report advocates voluntary procedures

A High-Level Group on the controversial issue of trade union recognition [1] has advocated that the problem should be tackled within the context of Ireland's voluntary collective bargaining system. If accepted, this would mean a mediation role on recognition for the Advisory Service of the Labour

Industrial relations in Poland: the emergence of a new model of labour relations?

This is the latest in a series of articles examining the industrial relations systems of the Central and Eastern European countries which are due to start European Union accession negotiations in 1998 - see EU9708143F [1], EU9709146F [2] and EU9710152F [3]. Here we focus on Poland, drawing on recent

New site pact signed for west German Opel plants

On 20 January 1998, the company works council (Gesamtbetriebsrat) and the executive board of Adam Opel AG- the German subsidiary company of the General Motors Corporation (GM) - signed a new works agreement on future investments, safeguarding employment and reduction of labour costs. After more than

New rules on the right to strike on the Italian railways

On 22 January 1998, the Guarantee Authority for the enforcement of Italy's law on strikes in essential public services (law 146/90) issued new regulations on the right to strike on the railways, which have received criticism from some quarters.

Controversial dismissal provisions in Vilafranca del Penedès wine-making collective agreement

Recent reforms of the labour market in Spain propose new forms of institutional control over dismissal for objective reasons, through collective bargaining. However, a December 1997 subsectoral local agreement in the Vilafranca del Penedès wine-making sector has revealed certain constraints on the

Union recognition: UK social partners reach partial agreement

The UK Labour Government is committed by its election manifesto to obliging employers to recognise a trade union where this is supported in a ballot by employees (UK9704125F [1]). Details of how the Government intends to implement this proposal are expected in a White Paper on "fairness at work" to


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 studenog 2019
Data results (1)
24 listopada 2023
Reference period:

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