European Works Councils – Facts and Figures 2006

Abstract:

A few hundred giant multinational firms control major shares of the international economy. The decisions taken by central management of these multinational companies affect workers in all their European subsidiaries. The European Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs), requires multinational companies to build a bridge between their decision-making centre and European workers' representatives.

Since its first publication in 2002, this book on the state of play in European Works Councils has become a key reference tool and this newly revised and updated version will prove invaluable to anyone seeking both quantitative information and understanding of the issues surrounding the formation and operation of EWCs. All relevant data is presented in a total of 161 figures, all of them accompanied by explanatory text. The source of the Facts and Figures presented here is a database available on CD-ROM from the ETUI-REHS.

One of the main messages the data deliver is that, ten years after the Directive on EWCs came into force, 2 204 companies have been identified as covered by the Directive's provisions. But only 784 of them have already set up an EWC.