European Works Council

Around 10 million workers across the EU have the right to information and consultation on company decisions at European level through their EWCs. The European Works Council Directives apply to companies with 1,000 or more employees, and at least 150 in two or more Member States.

 

The first EWC Directive, dating back to 1994 (94/45/EC), generated some 850 EWCs, covering around 60% of workers in the EU. In order to improve the legislation, the ETUC and European trade union federations launched a campaign leading to agreement in the European Parliament and Council on a new EWC recast Directive (2009/38/EC). It has been fully operational since June 2011. The ETUC is calling for a further revision to deal with gaps in the existing law, as foreseen in the 2009 directive.

More information on the ETUI Database of European Works Council Agreements.

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  • 20.06.2024 Press release

    EWCs: A step in the right direction but too little to secure rights

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    The Council has today backed plans to strengthen the directive on European Works Councils. This is good news on the way to revision of the Directive. European Works Councils are meant to ensure that, despite the increasingly international nature of the economy,  workers’ rights to information and consultation about management decisions are upheld.
  • 07.05.2024 Document

    Joint EU Trade Union statement toward the Council negotiation on the revision of the European Works Council Directive

    The revision of the European Works Council Directive was proposed by the European Commission at the request of the European Parliament. Regrettably, the European employers' organisations do not seem to appreciate this democratic practice. There is no other way to understand the public statement published on 22 March by Business Europe, Hotrec, EuroCommerce, European Banking Federation, ECEG and CEEMET and sent to the Employment Committee of the European Parliament and the Council.
  • 04.04.2024 Press release

    MEPs: Give workers a real voice in multinationals

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    The employment committee of the European Parliament today voted in favour of upholding workers' rights and social dialogue in multinational companies. The report by MEP Dennis Radtke (EPP) on amendments to the European Works Council (EWC) Directive was adopted by an overwhelming majority (28 in favour/ 7 against/ 8 abstentions). 
  • 24.01.2024 Press release

    Improvements to European Works Councils under new draft directive

    EWCs
    The European Commission today presented its proposal for a revision of the directive on European Works Councils (EWCs), the voice of workers in multinational companies. The proposal clarifies the decisions over which the EWCs must be consulted; management must finalise any consultation before taking a decision; EWCs must get adequate funding.
  • 04.10.2023 Document

    ETUC response to the second-phase consultation of Social Partners under Article 154 TFEU on a possible revision of the European Works Council Directive (2009/38/EC)

    Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 27-28 September 2023 In its legislative-initiative resolution[1] adopted by a large majority on 2 February 2023, the European Parliament called on the Commission to revise the European Works Council Directive[2]  with the aim of strengthening European Works Councils (EWCs) and their ability to exercise their right to information and consultation.
  • 04.10.2023 Press release

    ETUC calls for a directive to strengthen European Works Councils

    Raising and addressing workplace issues
    Serious defects in current legislation allow multinational companies to circumvent workers’ information and consultation rights. The ETUC is adamant that these can only be addressed with a legally binding instrument. The ETUC backs the call by the European Parliament on the EU Commission to revise the European Works Council Directive now. The ETUC is calling for a directive to bring about much-needed improvements in three key areas:
  • 26.05.2023 Document

    ETUC reply to the first phase of the Social Partner Consultation on a possible revision of the European Works Council Directive (2009/38/EC)

    ETUC reply to the first phase of the Social Partner Consultation on a possible revision of the European Works Council Directive (2009/38/EC) Adopted by written procedure on 22 May 2023 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) welcomes the European Commission’s intention to address the shortcomings of the European Works Council Directive (Directive 2009/38/EC) through a legally binding initiative.
  • 02.02.2023 Press release

    Parliament votes to strengthen works councils

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    The European Parliament today voted by a large majority in favour of the report by MEP Dennis Radtke (EPP) on the revision of the European Works Council Directive. MEPs urge the European Commission to act as soon as possible in order to address the many shortcomings in the current legislation that prevent European Works Councils (EWCs) from effectively exercising their rights.
  • 30.11.2022 Press release

    MEPs call on EU to strengthen European Works Councils

    EWCs demonstate outside European Parliament
    The European Parliament's Employment Committee today adopted by a large majority MEP Dennis Radtke's (EPP) legislative initiative report on the revision of the European Works Council Directive. MEPs call on the European Commission to improve the Directive on Works Councils to:
  • 08.09.2022 Speech

    EWC Conference 2022 - Introduction by Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Confederal Secretary

    Cover
    To be checked against delivery   Welcome at the EP premises, colleagues. This is really good to see you and to see you here; Thanks for having replied so numerous to our call. We are in the EP, at the heart of the EU democratic decision-making process. This is a 1ere for most of you! This is a one of the goals we had to bring you as close as possible to EU democracy… so that you make your voice heard, the voice of EWC members, of unionists, of workers rep. as constituencies of businesses. Why?
  • 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  
  • 05.11.2021 Event

    EWC Event Dublin

    17 November: Hybrid event on the transposition of the EWC Directive in Ireland (2pm– 4pm Irish time)  Register for the event  Draft agenda  The event will take place at Eurofound (Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown) 2pm– 4pm (Irish time) and online. 
  • 15.10.2021 Event

    ETUC’s annual European Works Councils conference, 8 & 9 September 2022

    2022's EWC Conference is planned for 8 and 9 September 2022 in Brussels We would like to inform you that we have now reached the limit of participants whose expenses can be covered for the ETUC’s annual European Works Councils Conference, 8 & 9 September 2022. Participants who registered up to 14 July have received confirmation of their participation.  Registration is now closed.
  • 26.07.2021 Event

    European Works Councils Conference 2021

    I am pleased to invite you to the ETUC’s annual conference on European Works Councils, to be held on 11 & 12 October 2021 in the framework of a project co-financed by the European Commission.
  • 12.09.2019 Document

    EU - safeguard and strengthen Democracy at Work!

    Group
    Statement presented at the ETUC EWC Annual conference 2019 Democracy at work is a fundamental value and a guiding principle of the European Union, recognised in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. It needs to be high on any ambitious European and national political agenda. Democracy at work matters: for workers, for companies, for public services and for society.
  • 11.09.2019 Press release

    MEPs and unions call for EU action on democracy at work

    ETUC Isabelle Schomann call for more democracy at work
    On the 25th anniversary of the European Workers Councils Directive, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on the new European Commission and Parliament to strengthen workers' democracy across the European Union. A statement calling for new EU initiatives for more -           and stronger European Works Councils
  • 10.05.2019 Page

    French multinational to set up European Works Council

    French care provider Korian has reached a deal with trade unions on setting up a European Works Council. It will be the first EWC in the sector of care for the elderly and people with disabilities. The groundbreaking agreement comes after months of negotiations and opens the way for further deals in this growing sector. Korian is a major player in social care with over 52,000 workers in six European countries.
  • 26.06.2018 Event

    EWC CONFERENCE 10-11 OCTOBER 2018 - REMINDER AND UPDATE OF INVITATION FOR EWCs

    18 October 2018 To all participants in the EWC conference of 10-11 October Dear participants, colleagues and friends We were delighted to see so many of you at our recent EWC conference,  we thank you for coming and especially those of you who took part in the rally at the European Parliament.  You will find some photographs of the event here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/etuc-ces/sets/72157702103503824
  • 01.06.2018 Page

    Cross-border network for better conditions in the care sector

    Workers’ representatives in the French multinational care provider Korian have kicked off the process of setting up a European Works Council by launching a network with  Italian, German and Belgian trade union counterparts. In April, an exchange of views on working conditions in the Korian Group’s subsidiaries across Europe revealed that the company is keeping wages low and staffing levels to a bare minimum. Even though Korian is a highly profitable business, inadequate pay, part-time contracts and precarious working conditions are commonplace.

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