1

Comités d’entreprise européens

European Works

Councils

EWCs – Why?• whereas, if economic activities are to develop in a

harmonious fashion, undertakings and groups of undertakings operating in two or more Member States must inform and consult the representatives of those of their employees that are affected by their decisions; Whereas procedures for informing and consulting employees as embodied in legislation or practice in the Member States are often not geared to the transnational structure of the entity which takes the decisions affecting those employees; whereas this may lead to the unequal treatment of employees affected by decisions within one and the same undertaking or group of undertakings;

Why? Whereas...

• Whereas appropriate provisions must be adopted to ensure that the employees of Community-scale undertakings are properly informed and consulted when decisions which affect them are taken in a Member State other than that in which they are employed; Whereas, in order to guarantee that the employees of undertakings or groups of undertakings operating in two or more Member States are properly informed and consulted, it is necessary to set up European Works Councils or to create other suitable procedures for the transnational information and consultation of employees;

Information & consultation ??

EWC - CEE

• Directive

• Loi Law

• Employers

Information

• Means the informing of the body of representative of the employees and/or employees’ representatives by the competent organ of the SE on questions which concern the SE itself and any of its subsidiaries or establishments situated in another Member State or which exceed the powers of decision-making organs in a single Member State at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives to undertake an in-depth assessment of the possible impact and, where appropriate, prepare consultations with the competent organ of the SE;

Consultation

• Means the establishment of dialogue and exchange of views between the body representative of the employees and/or the employees’ representatives and the competent organ of the SE, at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives, on the basis of information provided, to express an opinion on measures envisaged by the competent organ which may be taken into account in the decision-making process within the SE;

Source: Knudsen & Sörensen

- +Agreements Accords

Pratique

Practice

+

-

Beiersdorf

Air France

Lufthansa

One best model?Modèle Unique le meilleur?

EDFEuronex

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Typologie des Comités d’entreprise européens

ParticipationPas de participation

Information de qualitéoptimale

Information non optimale

CENE informatifCENE actif

CENE moyen

“café du commerce”

1. Membres du CENE: Le fonctionnement du CENE

28,0%23,8%

30,1%

18,1%

Source: CSC

EWC representative Le représentant CEE

> 5000> 15

> 45

BR STBR-CE

41% < 5 H

44% < 10 h

5. Répartition dessièges:

Au B D Dk Es F Fi Gr I Ir L NL P S UK No Li Is

1 2 1 2 1 1 2 18

7. Nom:

8. Participé à .....réunions

Négociationspour accord

Comitérestreint

CEE Autres

2 510. Fonction dans

le CEESecrétaire Comité

restreintReprésentant Autre

X X

11. Contacts avecles rep de

AuB D Dk Es F Fi Gr I Ir L NL P S UK No Li Is

4 10+

13. Appréciationdufonctionne-ment:

1(mauvais)

2 3

X

4 5(excellent)

14. Besoins deformation1 - 5

Rep destravailleurs

5

Infoéconomiqueet financière

3

Globalisationet stratégies

3

Langues

5Autres

Transnational or national identity?

EWC - CEE

17 800 2 820

1 300630

1 970

2930

20 8

2

4

3

4

21

1

1

2

2

Representativity TransnationalityReprésentativité Transnationalité

Transnationality – Transnationalité ?

EWC - CEE

Temps de parole

1%19%

2%

8%

0%

70%

UK

CES NL

D H

F

Strategy Investments

What ? Was ? Quoi?

Working methods

Parental leave

16%

H & S

66%

Working time

51%

Equal opportunities

39%

R & D

64%

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

Droits Rights

40%

Training

47%

Profit sharing

?%

… + ?

68%

Environment

Facilities

Moyens

Meetings Réunions Training Formation

Select committeeComité restreint

Communication and network

Select committeeComité restreint

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

UNION SYNDICATGEWERKSCHAFT

CTI

EWC CEE EBR

19

The Demands of the ETUC

ETUC strategy in view of the revision of the European Works Councils Directive : 

a) Definition of the notions of information and consultation

b) Recognition of the union's role c) The procedure for renegotiating

agreementsd) A clearer definition of the notion of

'controlling undertaking' e) Training

ETUC strategy in view of the revision of the European Works Councils Directive :

f) Shortening the period for negotiations g) Sanctionsh) Confidentiality i) Recourse to experts j) Access to sites k) The right to preparatory and follow-up

meetings

The Annex (1-5)

1. Definitions of ‘information’ and ‘consultation’

2. The role of the trade unions

3. The maximum number of persons in SNBs and EWCs (in the subsidiary requirements)

4. The procedure for renegotiating agreements

5. Provision for a second exceptional meeting

The Annex (6-10)

6.One-year negotiating period

7.Better definition of “controlling undertaking”

8.Access to workforce and workplaces

9.Confidentiality

10. Penalties

The Annex (11-15)

11. Legal challenges

12. Information on eligibility

13. Preparatory and follow-up meetings for SNBs and EWCs (in the subsidiary requirements)

14. Training

15. Experts (EWCs)

The Annex (16-19)

16. Experts (SNBs)

17. Select committees

18. Two meetings a year for EWCs

19. Interpretation and translation of documents

The Annex (20 & 21)

 20. The topics of ‘health and safety policy’, ‘training and education policy’,‘environmental policy’ and ‘equal opportunity policy’

21. Gender balance in EWCs

The Annex (22-26)

22. “Ideological guidance” undertakings

23. Commercial shipping

24. The ‘transnational’ criterion

25. Reducing the threshold

26. Registering agreements