IndustriAll European trade union: Over 20 years of working with European Works Councils

Abstract

industriAll Europe, and its predecessor European Trade Union Federations in the manufacturing, mining and energy sectors, has played a key role in the formation and development of European Works Councils (EWCs) since the inception of pioneer transnational information and consultation bodies in the 1990s. Some 560 EWCs now operate under its remit, accounting for half the total currently functioning. To date, only fragmentary accounts exist of its over 20 years of practical and political experience in assisting EWCs. This article thus provides a unique insight. We examine the demographics of these EWCs and discuss how industriAll Europe handles European worker representation, provide a critical assessment of the Recast EWC Directive and outline the broad range of instruments and policies developed over time to guide and support EWCs in industrial sectors.