Seminar on European Works Councils

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Seminar on European Works Councils 22-24.10.2007

• WELCOME TO THE EMF!
• European Metalworkers Federation, EMF
• Fédération Européenne des Métallurgistes, FEM
• Europäischer Metallgewerkschaftsbund, EMB
• Isabelle Barthès, EMF senior adviser

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Information and consultation at EU level the EWC
directive

• Information consultation of workers is a high
  priority at European level
• Workers involvement is a common feature in
  European Countries
• Transnational Social Dialogue
• Internal Market
• Internationalisation of economies and companies
• first experiences 80s (VW, Renault, SKF, ...)
• Demand for more than 25 years
• Directive 94/45 approved on 22.09.1994
• Scope the European Economic Area (EEA)

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EWC State of Play

• 2200 companies concerned 550 in the metal
• 800 agreements 340 in the metal (55 obsolete)
• 15 000 reps
• 80 ongoing negotiations renegotiations
• 01.04.2004 01.01.2007 make EU enlargement a
  reality for EWCs
• EWC identified are covered 160

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EWC in practice

• Practise varies
• An important transnational body
• Access to strategic level of decision-making
• Information but limited consultation
• A new challenge for workers representatives
  towards
• a European approach
• EWC a key role to play in the event of
  transnational restructuring and anticipation of
  change
• gt EWC a tool to reinforce trade union
  influence in MNC
• Make the best out of it!

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EWC after enlargement

• On the learning curve
• A tool to develop common understanding especially
  in case of restructuring
• Languages
• Under represented in select committees
• Designation of workers reps difficult when the
  unions are not present
• Trade union to ensure that designation is
  democratic
• No trade union seat remain vacant
• EMF Coordinators a challenge

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Transnational Negotiations at Company level

• Increasing number of texts discussed or
  negotiated in the context of EWC
• Soft issues
• Positive development of the SD at company level
• Trade union involvement
• Towards harmonisation and improvement of working
  conditions
• EMF internal procedure for negotiation at company
  level

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Principles of EMF mandate on enterprise level

• Do we negotiate?
• 2/3 in each country involved European
  unanimity, but a country with less than 5 of
  employees cant block decision
• Mandate paper and negotiation body
• 2/3 in each country involved European
  unanimity, but a country with less than 5 of
  employees cant block decision
• Approval of agreement
• 2/3 in each country European unanimity
• Relation to national agreements?
• Non regression clause
• Implementation
• Through national implementation

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2 cases 2 agrements

• Areva equal opportunities
• French MNC present in 13 cs in Europe
• EWC
• Company motivation give social dialogue a
  positive dimension
• Management and EWC launched a survey
• EWC approached the EMF for expertise
• EMF sold the idea of the agreement the EMF can
  deliver the unions

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2 cases 2 agrements

• Areva
• Negotiation body and Select NG
• Agreement signed on November 2006
• Detailed agreement with indicators
• National implementation going-on
• Joint project EWC/management/EMF

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2 cases 2 agrements

• Schneider anticipation of change
• French MNC present in 27 cs in Europe
• EWC
• Company motivation accompanying mesures in case
  of restructuring
• EWC approached the EMF for expertise

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2 cases 2 agrements

• Schneider
• Negotiation body and SNB
• Several meetings of SNB 2 meetings of the large
  Negotiation body
• Content from social consequences to anticipation
  of change
• Agreement signed on June 2007
• The implementation will start soon

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Some lessons

• Initiative not possible without an existing EWC
• The EMF can deliver the national unions
• Schneider HR manager negotiating with the EMF
  prevented us from negotiating with all the
  organisations
• Agreement more precise and far-reaching that
  expected strong trade union dimension
• Strong and well unionised EWC is an added value
• Model of cooperation b/w EWC and EIF

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EMF activities towards European Institutions EWC
Directive revision

• Timeframe 7 years demand
• Procedure of consultation of the social partners
  started in April 2004
• Commission initiative soon
• Trade union campaign
• Some key issues
• Strengthened information/consultation rights
• Improved working facilities (training, more
  meetings)
• Guaranteed expert role
• Role unions and European Federations
• Sanctions