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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)

Controversy over employee information and consultation procedure

The general framework of employee information and consultation is regulated by Act 467/2006, which transposes Directive 2002/14/EC [1] into Romanian law, and stipulates the right of management and labour to ‘define freely and at any time through negotiated agreement the practical arrangements for

15 Maggio 2014
Article
Collective bargaining
Social partners
Participation at work
Labour and social regulation
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Unions in dispute over recognition at bank

Employment relations in Malta are governed and regulated by the Employment and Industrial Relations Act (EIRA) (215 KB PDF) [1]. However, the act does not regulate trade union recognition at a place of work. More than one trade union claiming majority representation – 50% plus one – among the same

10 Aprile 2014
Article
Collective bargaining
Industrial action
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Supermarket catastrophe uncovers poor working conditions in retail sector

In the heavily populated Rīga suburb of Zolitūde, the roof of a Maxima supermarket collapsed at 6pm on 21 November 2013. The store was busy and the roof over the cash registers collapsed onto cashiers and lines of customers. An hour later, another part of the roof collapsed burying both the injured

30 Marzo 2014
Article
Employee representation
Working conditions and sustainable work

Trade union position stable after workplace elections

Workplace elections are held in Luxembourg every five years. The most recent elections were held on 13 November 2013, and 437,000 employees and retired workers were eligible to vote. , However, the turnout was just 36% (approximately 158,000 people). Just over 700 companies were involved.

4 Marzo 2014
Article
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Changes in social partner organisations

On 31 October 2013, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS [1]) in the Netherlands published new figures on union density. [1] http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/home/default.htm

25 Febbraio 2014
Article
Social partners
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Financial sector creates its first trade union

The Estonian financial sector is strongly intertwined with the Scandinavian model, where trade unions are an important part of the sector. When the Scandinavian banks expanded to Estonia in the 1990s, unsuccessful attempts were made to form trade unions for workers in the sector. Employers now say

19 Gennaio 2014
Article
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Unions call for worker representation on boards

A report published on 22 October 2013 by the Trades Union Congress (TUC [1]) makes the case for a stronger voice for workers in corporate governance structures, including ‘a mandatory system for the representation of workers on company boards’. [1] http://www.tuc.org.uk/

12 Gennaio 2014
Article
Labour and social regulation
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

New rules give trade unions extended rights

Union membership in Lithuania is low – about 10% of all employees. The unions are divided into three main confederations, the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK [1]), the Lithuanian Labour Federation (LDF [2]) and Solidarumas [3]. They are divided – historically at least – on ideological

9 Gennaio 2014
Article
Social partners
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Steps made to improve seafarers’ employment rights

As part of the European Commission’s (EC [1]) better regulation policy, it issued a ‘Fitness Check’ report in July 2013 focusing on worker involvement issues in EU law. It examines the directives that cover worker information and consultation at national level (*EU1308011I*). [1] http://ec.europa.eu

19 Dicembre 2013
Article
Participation at work
Labour and social regulation
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Changes to works councils law affect training budget

The Works Councils Act (WOR [1]) was first enacted in 1950. There have been seven major revisions of the act since it first came into force (*NL9709130F* [2]). An eighth revision has been made this year, 15 years after the last significant changes, and came into force on 19 July 2013. [1] http://www

16 Dicembre 2013
Article
Participation at work
Labour and social regulation
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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 Novembre 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 Ottobre 2023
Reference period:
2019

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