employee_representation.jpg

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.

Topic

Recent updates

Eurofound expert(s)

ricardo-rodriguez-contreras-2023.png

Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras

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)

European Works Councils case studies: The BOC Group

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The BOC EWC was set up as the BOC group European forum (BOCEF) in 1996 and was a voluntary agreement.

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: The British American Tobacco Company

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The BAT EWC was set up in 1996 under this Directive.

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: The Royal and Sun Alliance Group

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The BAT EWC was set up in 1996 under this Directive. The establishment of the R&SA EWC or European Consultation Forum

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: Allianz Group

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The agreements on the establishment of the Allianz European Committee (AEC) were completed on 24 July 1996, according

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: The DaimlerChrysler Group

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: Deutsche Bank

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: Kraft Foods

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: Assa Abloy

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: Atlas Copco

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

European Works Councils case studies: British Airways (BA)

In September 1994, the Council of Ministers decided on a Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council for the purposes of informing and consulting employees (94/45/EC). The emergence of European Works Councils (EWCs) is a major part of the development of an industrial relations system

16 October 2008
Publication
Case study
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Online resources results (298)

Germany: Revival of German trade unions

German trade unions have been fighting decreasing rates in density for years. Now the latest research by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research shows that net union density rose by 2.6 percentage points between 2006 and 2012 and 20.6% of employees were union members in 2012. Most of the new

14 svibnja 2015
Article
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Bulgaria: New union for homeworkers

A new trade union aims to improve the pay, employment rights and access to social security benefits of homeworkers, most of whom are women. The driving force behind its creation is the Association of Homeworkers in Bulgaria, a non-governmental organisation that strives to address the problems and

8 travnja 2015
Article
Employee representation
Social partners
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Estonia: Baltic trade unions summit

26 ožujka 2015
Article
Employee representation
Social partners
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

UK: Union’s anger at changes to rules on payment of subscriptions

25 ožujka 2015
Article
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Germany: Continued decline in collective bargaining and works council coverage

An ongoing decline in coverage for both collective bargaining and works councils in Germany is driven by medium-sized establishments: coverage rates for large and small companies have remained relatively constant. In 2013, only 28% of private-sector workers in western Germany (15% in eastern Germany

2 veljače 2015
Article
Collective bargaining
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Netherlands: Pensions advice to clear up confusion

Conflicting laws have led to confusion in the Netherlands over how much influence works councils can have on company pension arrangements. The Social and Economic Council (SER) suggested ways of clarifying this in June, after being asked for its advice by the Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and

17 prosinca 2014
Article
Employee representation
Retirement
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Social policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue

UK: New research highlights limited impact of ICE regulations

A report commissioned by Acas examines the incidence, composition and operation of joint consultative committees in UK workplaces. Findings show an aggregate stability in workplace level joint consultative committees between 2004 and 2011, a decline in higher-level consultative committees, and an

24 listopada 2014
Article
Employee representation
Participation at work
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Netherlands: New legislation on management pay

The entry into force of the Clawback Act at the start of 2014 in the Netherlands makes possible the reduction of executive bonuses and severance payments, and the reclaiming of payments ('clawback') after they have been awarded, if they are deemed unfair. It applies to all public limited companies

22 listopada 2014
Article
Pay and income
Employee representation
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Cleaners urged to join fight against low wages

A cross-union network, the Critical Trade Network (KRAY [1]), has been highly critical of traditional Finnish trade unions for being too ‘consensus-orientated’ and lacking real interest in tackling the problems of low pay. [1] http://www.kriittinen.fi/

22 svibnja 2014
Article
Pay and income
Social policies
Employee representation
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Trade unions’ initiative promotes social dialogue

In November 2010, the National Trade Union Confederation Meridian (CSN Meridian [1]), and the Farmers’ Federation (FAF [2]) started a joint project to promote social dialogue in rural areas of Romania. The three-year project, Together for the development of social dialogue in Romania, was co

22 svibnja 2014
Article
Inequality
Participation at work
Social dialogue
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (1)
image_blog_unions_20112019.png

Restructuring: Do unions still matter?

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
Sara Riso
Blog
Restructuring
Working conditions
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Data results (1)

European Company Survey

24 listopada 2023
Reference period:
2019

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.