Today, the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) of the European Parliament took a decisive step in advancing workers' rights by adopting amendments to further revise the European Works Council (EWC) Directive proposed by the Commission. The vote, which saw 28 members in favor, 7 against, and 8 abstentions, marks a significant move towards strengthening the rights of employees in multinational companies operating within the European Union.

The adopted amendments aim to address key issues within the EWC Directive, including:

• Clear Definition of Transitional Issues: The amendments seek to clearly define the transitional issues on which EWCs must be consulted, ensuring that workers have a voice in crucial decision-making processes.
• Tougher Sanctions for Non-compliance: Stricter sanctions are proposed for companies that fail to comply with their obligations under the EWC Directive, demonstrating a commitment to enforcing workers' rights effectively.
• Injunctions for EWCs: EWCs would be granted the ability to use injunctions to suspend company decisions that have not been made through proper information and consultation processes. This empowers workers' representatives to challenge decisions that may impact their rights.

In response to the committee's decision, Isabelle Schömann, Deputy Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), stated, "Today's vote reflects a crucial recognition of the need to enforce workers' rights at the transnational level. The amendments adopted by the EMPL Committee represent a significant step towards ensuring that employees have a meaningful say in decisions affecting their workplaces."

However, despite this progress, the European Parliament still needs to vote on a mandate for trialogue discussions. Due to the insufficient number of MEPs present in the Committee today, this vote may be postponed until next week. If not concluded in time, the file may be carried over to the next parliamentary term as unfinished business.

Meanwhile, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council has submitted a draft compromise to Member States regarding the revision of the 2009 Directive on European Works Councils. This compromise, based on feedback received through a questionnaire circulated in February, addresses issues such as confidentiality and meeting frequency. However, concerns remain, with Poland expressing caution on gender balance and Austria advocating for limiting EWC meetings to once a year.

Stay tuned for further developments as the EWC Directive continues to evolve in the pursuit of a fair and inclusive working environment for all workers across Europe.