The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) celebrates a major victory for workers’ rights across Europe as the Council of the EU formally adopted the revision of the European Works Council (EWC) Directive today. This marks the final step in a long-fought campaign to strengthen workers’ representation in multinational companies and ensure enforceable rights to information and consultation on decisions that affect jobs and working conditions.
The revised EWC directive provides trade unions with stronger tools to protect workers during corporate restructuring, promote fair transitions, and influence strategic decisions at transnational level. It closes loopholes that previously allowed companies to bypass consultation obligations and introduces clearer rules on confidentiality, access to justice, and the scope of transnational matters.
A strategic tool for worker protection
European Works Councils are vital instruments for democracy at work. With over 1,250 EWCs currently active, they are an important vehicle for unions to forward workers' interests in companies operating across borders. The revision of the directive responds to long-standing shortcomings in the 2009 framework, which left many EWCs without the means to effectively challenge decisions that led to job losses, plant closures, or deteriorating working conditions.
The revised EWC directive matches with the ETUC’s Ten Demands for a Modern EWC Directive, including by:
- Strengthening access to justice, ensuring that EWCs can defend their rights without bearing prohibitive legal costs.
- Clarifying what constitutes a transnational matter, ensuring that decisions affecting workers in multiple Member States trigger mandatory consultation.
- Limiting the misuse of confidentiality clauses, requiring objective justification and time-bound restrictions.
- Guaranteeing that EWC members receive adequate training and resources to fulfil their mandate.
These improvements will help EWCs become more assertive, better connected, and more effective in shaping fair and sustainable corporate strategies.
Swift transposition
The ETUC now calls on all Member States to swiftly transpose the directive into national law and ensure its full and ambitious implementation. Workers cannot afford further delays. The two-year transposition window must not become an excuse for inaction.
Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, said:
“This is a landmark moment for workers’ rights in Europe. The revised directive gives EWCs the tools they need to better and more constructively protect jobs and shape fair transitions. It’s a clear signal that the EU is delivering for workers. Now we urge Member States to implement the directive without delay and bring these new rights into force.”
ENDS
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