31 March 2020
If a clause of an agreement establishing a European Works Council provides for a minimum representation of delegates from countries other than that of the parent company, does this imply that there can be no additional representatives from those countries? A decision handed down on 28 January 2020 by the Court of Paris, based on the principle of balanced representation provided for in the European Works Council directive and the intention of the parties, states that this clause sets a minimum for representation,...
26 June 2019
On 20 June, cheese group Bel (which employs just over 5,500 across Europe) along with the SNB and with assistance from EFFAT (European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors), signed an agreement for the putting in place of a European Works Council. In terms of geographical scope the agreement includes Ukraine as well as Switzerland in the EWC’s remit and intends to maintain UK representatives under a no-deal Brexit scenario. Information will commence with a notice detailing the...
2 May 2019
On 29 April 2019, Korian, a leading French multinational provider of medical and non-medical care and support services for the elderly and people with short or longer-term health issues across a European network of 6 countries and more than 52,000 workers, signed an agreement with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) body to establish a European Works Council (EWC), making this the first EWC to have been established in the sector that cares for the elderly and people with disabilities. The agreement is now a benchmark reference, firstly because it is the first in a sector that is set to grow, and secondly because the EWC...
19 March 2019
The management at the Belgian chemicals group and members of its European Works Council have decided that “considering the importance of social dialogue in the company, the continuity should prevail and therefore the two current seats occupied by Solvay UK employees’ representatives shall remain, with equal rights and status, part of the Solvay EWC.” This decision comes as part of an amendment to the group’s EWC agreement, agreed on 15 March.
1 October 2018
At the start of last week, the Inditex group, which owns clothing brands such as Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear, penned an agreement regarding the creation of a European works council (EWC). The deal was negotiated with UNI Europa, the European services workers’ union, and contains a number of innovative measures, such as specific provisions on the links that the EWC is to have with national bodies.
26 July 2018
The European Commission has finally made its evaluation study on the implementation of recast Directive 2009/38/EC on the establishment of a European Works Council available online. The report had been set to serve as the basis for EU Commission work on the topic. A certain number of the study’s elements, which some say are now outdated since the report dates back to 2016, are worthy...
20 June 2018
On 06 June and following months of negotiations involving support from the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism (EFFAT), Asahi Breweries Europe Group (ABEG), which operates solely in central Europe together with the SNB of the Asahi Breweries Europe Group secured an agreement that establishes an EWC for the ABEG subsidiary.
28 February 2018
These EWC negotiations had a number of goals, not least to learn from the GE acquisition of Alstom’s energy business and provide representation for all European employees within the group’s multiple companies, as compared with the previous situation where some Industrial Divisions had separate EWCs. The agreement was signed on 23 February.
16 February 2018
The agreement establishing the European Works Council at Cargill was signed on 7 February by the US food and agriculture corporation. The anticipation agreement that previously governed the functioning of the EWC was abandoned by representatives of European staff in November 2015. As EFFAT, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, said in a statement on 14 February, negotiations over the latest deal proved lengthy. That said, the federation can be pleased with the outcome, as the...
