Brussels, 30/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for the European works council (EWC) Directive to be reviewed and tightened up. The Directive has been in force for six years now but experience has shown that the members of work councils are generally ill-informed or not told at all about what is happening in their company, are often presented with a fait accompli and do not learn about later decisions. ETUC is therefore urging the Commission to give the go-ahead to a review of the Directive and is leaning on UNICE (Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe) to shoulder its responsibilities and negotiate the review alongside the trade unions..
ETUC feels that European workers deserve to have more rights in the case of information, consultation and participation. What is needed is a « Directive creating a general mandatory framework for workers' information and consultation in the Member States ». With this in mind, ETUC is calling for steps to be taken as soon as possible for the adoption of the Directive involving workers in European Companies (« which has been eagerly awaited for a long time »), and for a review of the EWC Directive. ETUC wants any such review to be based on the following items: "a) workers' representatives within the EWC have to be provided full information on a constant basis ; b) consultations should be held before a decision is taken, during the planning stage, when influence can still be brought to bear, the only time when consultations with workers form a constructive process for the parties involved ; c) the EWC members need to have the suitable resources for completing their tasks. They need training, means of communication, access to e-mail systems, the right to meet and get together with their colleagues at national and international levels; d) trade unions play a key role in the smooth functioning of EWCs. They serve as moderating influences between the various cultures. They provide information and major resources to EWC representatives of workers. This rule has to be enshrined in the Directive ».
In order to give tangible form to these demands, UNICE is organising a demonstration for 31 October at 11.30 a.m. in front of the UNICE headquarters, and at 12.15 p.m. in front of the Commission. Those taking part include Emilio Gabaglio, ETUC Secretary General, and the general secretaries of the 12 European trade union federations.