Resources 28
Using European Works Councils

Transnationals are increasingly important in public services. EWCs can be a useful part of trade unions’ campaigning and organising strategies for transnationals.

Although specifically set up for employees of transnationals of a certain size and geographical scope operating at European level, any results achieved through EWCs can potentially be shared with employees in non-European workplaces or smaller companies. Transnationals do not employ the majority of working people but they do tend to set the standard for pay and working conditions. Therefore, trade unions are increasingly co-operating to create strategies for dealing with transnational companies. Part of our strategy is to draw EWCs into our overall organising and campaigning effort - not to treat them in isolation.

We have to remember that:

• EWCs cannot be taken for granted. They offer many opportunities for co-ordinated trade union action in organising and campaigning for improved pay and conditions, health and safety, training and to confront management techniques such as human resource management and total quality circles. Therefore, communications among the trade unionists involved must be open and reliable.

• EWC representatives will not communicate with each other if they do not want to, or if they do not see the need. Therefore, education and training about the aims and objectives of trade union strategies for transnational companies and the role of EWCs would help representatives and other union officers participate fully in the communication process.

• Most EWC representatives are not used to participating in such an international forum. Training to develop personal communications skills would benefit many representatives and would thereby improve the quality of participation.

• EWC agreements are open for re-negotiation. Representatives and their trade unions should develop a strategy to improve the contribution of management to the cost of communications, including skills training.

(extract from "European Works Councils - communications to build a trade union agenda for organising and campaigning - a module." EPSU, written by G Reardon (PSPRU) for EPSU, 1997