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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

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: Electrolux AB

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: GM Opel

The joint stock-company General Motors (GM), with its headquarters in Detroit, is the world’s largest automotive group, with nearly 9.2 million vehicles sold around the world in 2005. This case study is based on interviews undertaken with national delegates of the General Motors EWC/GME European

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: KBC Bank

KBC Bank and Insurance Holding Company was established in 1998 following the merger of three Belgian financial institutions. This case study is based on interviews carried out in Poland and the Czech Republic between March and July 2006 with representatives of the KBC European Works Council

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Bosch

The Bosch group, with headquarters in Stuttgart, is one of the world’s largest private industrial corporations and a major supplier in the field of automotive and industrial technology, as well as of consumer goods and building technology. This case study is based on interviews carried out in the

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Siemens

Siemens, with headquarters in Munich and Berlin, is a globally-active company operating in the fields of electrical engineering and electronics. This case study is based on interviews conducted in the Czech Republic and Poland. Interviews were carried out between February and June 2006 with EWC

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Sanofi-Aventis

The Sanofi-Aventis group was formally established on 1 January 2005 as a result of the takeover of Aventis by the Sanofi-Synthélabo group in 2004. This case study is based on interviews carried out in Hungary and Poland between March and June 2006 with HR management representatives and EWC members

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the four largest telecommunication companies in the world and a strong global player in this industry. This case study is based on interviews carried out in Slovakia and Hungary between March and June 2006 with both EWC members and management representatives. In addition

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Unilever

Unilever was formally created in 1930 with the merger of British soapmakers ‘Lever Brothers’ and Dutch margarine producers ‘Margarine Unie’. Today, this Anglo-Dutch company owns many of the world’s best-known consumer brands in food, beverages, cleaning and personal care products. This case study is

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

EWCs in the new Member States - Case study: Volkswagen

The Volkswagen group, with headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, with a share in global passenger car production in 2005 of 9% (5.2 million passenger car vehicles), making the company the world’s fourth largest car producer. This case study is

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

Around the world in 80 ways – Between competition and solidarity

Born out of the controversy caused by cases of cross-border restructuring and its employment impact, European works councils (EWCs) are considered a key tool for managing the impact of globalisation. According to the agreements establishing them, the vast majority of EWCs should be informed and

02 June 2008
Publication
Information sheet
Labour market policies
Employee representation
Social partners
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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

11 travnja 2013
Article
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

7 travnja 2013
Article
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Participation at work
Pay and income
Labour and social regulation
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

28 veljače 2013
Article
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Social partners
Pay and income
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

7 veljače 2013
Article
Industrial action
Participation at work
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

12 prosinca 2012
Article
Labour and social regulation
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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/

4 prosinca 2012
Article
Industrial action
Labour and social regulation
Social partners
Employee representation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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.

25 studenog 2012
Article
Agreements
Social partners
Participation at work
Labour and social regulation
Skills and training
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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.

14 studenog 2012
Article
Agreements
Social partners
Inequality
Participation at work
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

6 studenog 2012
Article
Pay and income
Social partners
Employee representation
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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

18 listopada 2012
Article
Employee representation
Blogs results (1)
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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

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