Objectives of the seminar

1
Objectives of the seminar

• Get to know other EMCEF EWC coordinators
• Get to know EMCEF motion of the Istanbul
  General Assembly on EWC coordination
• Discuss trade union involvement in EWCs
• Learn from each others experiences in handling
  company changes challenges helping the EWC to
  improve assisting in (re)negotiations
• Explore questions on composition (inclusion
  new member state representatives) and on
  internal cooperation
• Agree on follow-up information exchange

2
Agenda for the three days
Monday Getting to know each other EMCEF guidelines for EWC coordination ----------------------------------------------------- Involvement of coordinators in EWCs
Tuesday Exchange of EWC experiences - in handling restructuring - with improving information consultation - on (re)negotiations of agreements
Wednesday EWC networking information exchange The internal cooperation in the EWC Cooperation coordinators secretariat EWC section on the EMCEF intranet
3
Follow-up of the project

• Contact details EMCEF EWC coordinators
• Information on EMCEF activities via EMCEF
  intranet
• Website finnish EWC coordination work
• Information on ETUC activities and on issues like
  the revision of the EWC directive
• Discussion on needs for further information
  exchange, support and training
• Evaluation of the seminar

4
WWW.EMCEF.ORGpkerckhofs_at_emcef.org

• Bedankt!
• Merci!
• Danke!
• Thank You!

5
Information the EMCEF secretariat can give to EWC
coordinators
ETUC activities on EWCs

• Madrid
• 19-09-07

6
ETUC working group participation

• 18 April meeting of the ETUC WG focused on CSR,
  SE 14th directive
• 20 April conference SDA
• ETUC Congress 21-25 May
• ETUC deputy general secretary Reiner Hoffmann
  responsible for workers participation
• EWC task force with EIFs, ETUI-REHS SDA
• Improving cooperation reducing double work
• Newsletter
• Revision of the EWC directive campaign
• Next meeting of the ETUC WG participation is on
  20/09

7
8-10-07 start revision of SE directive
Letter to Spidla McCreevy
8
Information the EMCEF secretariat can give to EWC
coordinators
Developements in the proces of revision of the
EWC directive

• Madrid
• 19-09-07

9
ETUC working group participation

• 18 April meeting of the ETUC WG focused on CSR,
  SE 14th directive
• 20 April conference SDA
• ETUC Congress 21-25 May
• ETUC deputy general secretary Reiner Hoffmann
  responsible for workers participation
• EWC task force with EIFs, ETUI-REHS SDA
• Improving cooperation reducing double work
• Newsletter
• Revision of the EWC directive campaign
• Next meeting of the ETUC WG participation is on
  20/09

10
8-10-07 start revision of SE directive
Letter to Spidla McCreevy
11
Trade Union demands for the revision of the
directive

• Definition consultation, especially in
  extraordinary circumstances
• Information adapted to needs
• Training for EWC members
• 2nd annual meeting
• Recognising trade union role
• Increase compliance rate
• Include representatives from new member states

12
State of play revision EWC directive

• April 2004 first social partner consultation
• Reaction UNICE
• 31 March 2005 communication from the EU
  Commission / second consultation

• Instead of revising the Directive,
• Cummunity action should focus on
• monitoring transposition implementation
• of Directive in
  Member states
• Exchanging experiences of EWCs
• (against background of enlargement)

13
Cottigny Report (EP Feb. 2006)

• Regrets that second phase consultation was only
  minor subchapter of Commission Communication
• Asks Commission to launch a proper consultation
  offering social partners chance to negotiate
  (article 138 EC Treaty)

3 EP Resolutions demand revision

• 15 March (Nr 0088) Resolution on
  restructuring employement
• 6 July (Nr 0315) Resolution on
  restructuring / GM closure Portugal
• 29 November (Nr 0383) Debate on
  restructuring / VW Vorst-Belgium

14
13 Sep. 2006 Opinion of EU Economic Social
Committee

• EESC identified 3 points which it feels should
  be taken into consideration for a rapid updating
  of Directive 94/45
• coordination of information and consultation
  provisions of directives 2001/86, 2002/14,
  2003/72 (European cooperative)
• recognition of the right of trade union officers
  to be member of SNB and EWCs
• adjustment maximum number of SNB members

15
2006 developments in the process of revising the
EWC directive

• Technical revision of EWC directive on 20/11/2006
  2006/109/EC in OJEC L 363 of 20.12.2006 p. 416
• SNB can have as much members as there are Member
  States.
• court cases Beiersdorf (F) 13/10 British
  Airways (B) 6/12
• Gaz de France court case (F) 21/11/2006
• This case law enforces EWC consultation rights
  in merger cases.

16
Gaz de France Court case21 November 2006

• EWC of GdF won court case, confirmed in appeal.
• not enough information and answers to questions
  of EWC to allow EWC to express opinion on merger.
  
• pay 7.500 euro to EWC for first case 7.500 for
  appeal.
• All expenses of court cases are charged to GdF.
• GdF can not take further decision in merger,
  unless
• all questions of EWC are answered
• all info given to permit union experts to make
  report on employment consequences merger, and
• EWC expresses opinion on the basis of this
  report.
• has to pay 100.000 euro for each further step in
  merger process before EWC has given opinion

17
2006 developments

• EP Report Jean Louis Cottigny (09/02/06)
• resolutions of the EP demanding revision
• March (Nr 0088) on restructuring
• July (Nr 0315) on closure GM in Portugal
• November (Nr 0383) On VW
• Opinion of ECOSOC (13/09/06)
• A technical revision of the EWC directive on
  20/11/2006
• Gaz de France Court case 21/11/2006
• This case law enforces EWC consultation
  rights in merger cases.

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What info and support you need

• Continuity from coordinator to coordinator
• Trade union presence in EWCs list of EWC SNB
  members to check legitimation reps
• Help assistance in setting up new EWCs
• sharing best practice
• Reflect on the role of EWCs
• Agree common approach between coordinators
• Communicate outcome court cases with help of
  ETUI-REHS
• Information on EU policy developments like on for
  example service directive

19
EVALUATION

• Bedankt!
• Merci!
• Danke!
• Thank You!

20
Training seminar forEWC representatives on how
to handle company changes

• Madrid
• 17-19.09.2007

Project VS/2006/0662 Funded by the European
Commission