On Wednesday 30 November, members of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) adopted – by 33 votes to 6 with 8 abstentions – the report by Dennis Radtke (EPP, German) that aims to strengthen democracy at work by revising the 2009 European Works Councils (EWC) Directive.
They asked the European Commission, with this report, to submit a proposal by 31 January 2024, according to a statement.
The recommendations made by the EMPL Committee include ensuring timely and meaningful consultations, particularly during restructuring, ending the exemption of pre-directive agreements, improving sanctions, and ensuring access to justice for EWCs.
EWCs are bodies that represent European employees in a multinational company, ensuring information and dialogue with its management on company affairs and important decisions taken at European level that could have an impact on working conditions and employment.
The Commission had evaluated this tool in May 2018. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has welcomed the vote, which strengthens the role of trade unions in EECs and sends “a clear signal to the Commission to act in order to strengthen European Works Councils”, it said in a statement.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/4da (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)