Brief Analysis of European Works Councils Essay

Submitted By woaigty111
Words: 498
Pages: 2

Introduction

A works council is an organization which represents the employees and employers of an enterprise to talk over the working affairs and common interests. It can negotiate with the management level about the un-satisfaction and complain of the workers’ wages and their work. Works councils in different countries have different names. The most famous works council is in Germany. There is a complete system in German works councils. The member in works council is changed every four years by the common workers in the companies.

EWCs were established on 22 September 1994. It is the most important event in the global industrial relations in recent years. It aims to inform and consult employees in companies at European Union level. The reason for the establishment of EWCs is partly that the transnational restructuring was brought about by the Single European Act (Markus Hertwig&Ludger Pries&Luitpold Rampeltshammer, 2011). It can communicate with the senior management of the big transnational corporation. Same information about the translational policies and measures are also told to the workers in different countries. European Works Council also provides opportunities for the representatives to discuss and develop a common response to the transnational plans.

Purpose and implementation

The purpose of EWCs is to promote the participation of the employees of European level in the information-sharing and consultation in multinational companies. Through the representatives, different information of the multinational companies can be conveyed and shared by the workers. In addition, it aims to reduce the conflicts between the workers and the multinational companies (Michael Whittall&Herman Knudsen&Fred Huijgen). EWCs also try to maintain and improve the right of the workers through establishing laws. At last, it also aims to correct the market confusion by the public policies.

EWCs will give its policies and decisions to the representatives who will send the information to the workers in different companies of European level,