Workers' participation

The ETUC’s landmark resolution ‘Towards a new framework for more democracy at work’, sets out a holistic approach to workers’ involvement, including stronger information and consultation rights and board-level participation. Prompt and effective workers’ involvement requires well-coordinated information, consultation and board-level representation.

The three existing EU information and consultation directives need updating, particularly as restructuring has become a permanent feature of company life. Restructuring and anticipation of change are not yet dealt with in these directives.

The ETUC website provides information on our activities in the field of workers’ participation, information and consultation and European Works Councils (EWCs), as well as restructuring and sustainable corporate governance. For more information please consult the ETUI worker participation website.

The ETUC is running a new project entitled "Workers’ Participation: the Key to Fair Digitalisation". This project will examine practices responding to the key challenges and questions surrounding workers’ participation, in light of the changes brought about by digitalisation. You can find the Report for the final conference here.

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  • 01.03.2023 Page

    Value sharing for a fairer deal in France

    Social partners in France have concluded an agreement on value sharing, to promote profit-sharing and incentive schemes as well as tax-free bonuses in all companies. Following a Convention on Value Sharing in February 2023, the French government has promised to formalise the terms of the accord in law.
  • 23.11.2021 Press release

    EP ramps up pressure for more Democracy at Work

    More democracy at Work
    MEP Gaby Bischoff's own-initiative report on "Democracy at Work” – adopted by an overwhelming majority in the by the Parliament’s Employment Committee today – calls for modernisation of EU legislation on workers involvement in decisions at work. The report includes calls for  
  • 20.01.2021 Document

    Right to disconnect – No to legislative veto amendment

    Cover
    ETUC welcomes the European Parliament’s interest in the right to disconnect. It is an important right for the quality and dignity of life of working people. It is a right that European employers’ organisations refuse to recognise and are trying to block. The ETUC is calling on the S&D Group to withdraw the last-minute damaging amendment preventing legislative action on the right to disconnect for three years – which in reality means around eight years (given the length of the legislative process and coming-into-force period).
  • 20.01.2021 Document

    Right to disconnect - Joint ETUC/ETUFs Letter to the Members of the European Parliament

    Cover
    Brussels, 19 January 2021   Members of the European Parliament via email   Dear MEPs, Workers experience a lot difficulties securing the right to disconnect in reality and the ETUC and the ETUFs urge the Commission to come forth with a proposal for a Directive quickly. Tomorrow, Wednesday the 20th January, amendments to the report on the right to disconnect will be tabled.
  • 16.10.2020 Document

    Petition "More Democracy at Work is a must!"

    Cover
    Petition More Democracy at Work is a must! European workers are now facing the massive social and economic consequences brought by the pandemic. An inclusive recovery and just transitions can only be achieved together in democratic manner, including the guarantee that all workers have a say and are effectively involved in the day-to-day life of their workplace.
  • 24.06.2020 Publication

    Strengthening Workers'Voices in case of Insolvencies - ETUC Report and Guidelines

    Cover Insolvencies
    A well-functioning European insolvency framework with a focus on preventive restructuring is not only essential to safeguard employment and workers’ interests, but also to support economic growth and cross-border investment. With this context in mind, it is important for the European Trade Union movement to analyse the impact the new EU directive may have on European workers’ rights as well as to clarify the scope for national implementation.
  • 29.03.2019 Press release

    Better than status quo, but another missed opportunity for more democracy at work!

    Dem at work
    The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament will vote on Monday on the agreement reached between the European Council, Commission and Parliament on the Directive on cross-border conversions, mergers and divisions, part of the so-called Company Law Package. A Directive to regulate cross-border restructuring processes is important and the result of the negotiations contains some improvements.
  • 28.02.2019 Press release

    For a fair and just Company Law Package!

    Demo
    In the final round of negotiations on the company law package, Member States have to guarantee that the directive protects workers’ rights, tackles abuses and prevents the setup of letterbox companies. The Directive goes to the next round of ‘trilogue’ negotiations (between the three European Union (EU) institutions Commission, Council and Parliament) on 5 March, preceded by a meeting of member state diplomats (COREPER) on 1 March. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calls on the Justice Ministers to agree with the European Parliament position on the following:
  • 22.01.2019 Press release

    No to another missed chance

    Peter
    The final trilogue text of the new Framework Directive on Insolvency* comes as a great disappointment to the ETUC. Once again, European legislators have missed an opportunity to improve European-wide workers' participation rights in restructuring and insolvency procedures. 
  • 09.10.2018 Press release

    More democracy at Work! Fix the EU Company law package!

    More Democracy at Work
    The EU needs to fix the draft Company Law Package – currently being discussed by the European Parliament and Council - so that it Strengthens democracy at work including worker representation on company boards meets the needs of working people and not only of business, and moves from a 1980s idea of corporate governance to one that has learned the lessons of the crisis says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The ETUC is organising two events to drive home its message
  • 04.10.2018 Event

    Debate on the Company Law Package

    on 17 October 2018, 13h00 – 14h30 European Parliament, Room JAN 4Q2 The European Trade Union Confederation, the German Trade Union Confederation, the Austrian Trade Union Federation and the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour invites you to a debate on the Company Law Package which is under discussion in the European Parliament.
  • 01.06.2018 Page

    Works council opens road to negotiations for cycle couriers

    With the support of Austrian transport and services union vida, cyclists working for restaurant delivery service Foodora in Vienna have set up a works council (Betriebsrat), as a first step towards bargaining for better working conditions. The move is another milestone in trade union organisation in the digital economy: it is one of the first works councils within an app- or platform-based business.  
  • 16.05.2018 Press release

    European Appeal: Companies and Employees – Blazing a New European Trail

    More democracy at work
    Something has gone wrong in the European Union. Four examples bear witness to this dysfunction. How can it be justified that hundreds of thousands of letter-box companies have been allowed to develop, when the aim of these ghost companies is to evade taxes, labour laws and regulations? How can it be explained that European Court of Justice decisions authorized the restriction of employees’ fundamental rights in order to support business schemes whose very objective was to circumvent the protection of employees?
  • 25.04.2018 Press release

    EU Commission's company law proposals provide grounds for progress – but clearly need improvement

    Reacting to the European Commission’s proposals for new company law rules*, published today, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Deputy General Secretary Peter Scherrer said: “The proposals on cross-border conversions show a welcome change of direction in EU company law, which until now has facilitated deregulation and regime shopping. The Commission aims to ensure that a company has genuine economic activity in the Member State where it wants to relocate its registered office. The proposed Directive therefore offers a basis for discussion.
  • 06.12.2017 Event

    LAST CALL: Cluster Seminar Madrid "Workers Participation: A key to fair digitalisation"

    To: The Workers Participation and Company policy committee The so far Participants of the project “workers participation: the key to fair digitalisation” For information to the ETUC Member Organisations   LAST CALL Project: Workers Participation: The key to fair digitalisation Cluster Seminar, Madrid 15/02/2018 Dear colleagues,  
  • 24.10.2017 Press release

    European Commission Work Programme 2018: ETUC Comments

    Commenting on the European Commission Work Programme 2018, Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said “We broadly welcome the work programme, especially the much-needed social fairness package. Whether this package will actually go far enough to improve social fairness for the majority of working people remains to be seen in the proposals when they are published.”
  • 18.09.2017 Press release

    New EU Industrial Policy?

    Commenting on the European Commission’s renewed Industrial Policy Strategy, published today, Peter Scherrer, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said: “The ETUC has long called for a new EU industrial strategy, and welcomes the fact that the European Commission has now published ‘A renewed Industrial Policy strategy’.

Contacts

Ms Isabelle Schömann

Deputy General Secretary

Mr Stefan GRAN

Senior Advisor

Mr Stefan CLAUWAERT

Senior Legal and Human Rights Advisor

Mr Niklas FRANKE

Project Officer

Mrs Bezaye GIRMA

Administrative Assistant To Isabelle SCHÖMANN