The European Works Council directive gives members of European Works Councils and Special Negotiating Bodies the right to training to help them exercise their duties as employee representatives (Article 10.4 of the directive). The cost of training must be met by management.
EWC Legal Advisers provides training to members of European Works Councils and Special Negotiating Bodies (SNBs), explaining what the law says, what legal obligations are imposed on management, what your legal rights are as employee representatives, and how you can enforce your rights.
We provide bespoke training programmes tailored for EWC or SNB representatives from one company, at a time and location of your choosing. We provide training to new EWC and SNB members when they first take up their role, and also to established EWC members. Training can be provided to individuals, to groups of members (eg from the same country, or new reps from different countries) or to the full EWC or SNB. Please contact us if you would like to discuss training.
Training topics
Training can cover some or all of the following topics:
1. Legal background – the “recast” EWC directive, national legislation, and EWC agreements
2. Differences between national EWC laws and employee representation in different countries
3. Negotiations for a European Works Council agreement – the role and rights of the Special Negotiating Body, the procedure for conducting negotiations
4. The Subsidiary Requirements
5. Topics for discussion, what are “transnational issues”
6. The Information and consultation process – timing, frequency, provision of information, procedure for consultation, plenary and exceptional meetings, use of expert advisers
7. The role of the select committee and the employee chair
8. Rules on confidential information
9. Reporting back to employees and local works councils
10. Link between transnational and national consultation
11. Time off, facilities and training for employee representatives
12. Changes to the European Works Council – corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, changes to the agreement, renewal, renegotiation and termination of the agreement
13. Implications of Brexit for EWCs and for UK reps
14. Enforcing your rights