An introduction for EFBWW General introduction EMF Principles EMF EWC Task Force

1. - An introduction for EFBWW • General introduction • EMF Principles • EMF EWC Task Force • Binding Guidelines • EMF EWC Co-ordinators • Other activities • Role EWCs vs. Trade unions By Luc TRIANGLE, Chairman EMF EWC Task Force EFBWW

2. 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION • demand for more than 25 years • first experiences : 80’s (Volkswagen, Renault, SKF, ...) turning point 22/09/94 • art. 13 (150 agreements) and art 6. period • Now : 250 agreements, +60 % workforce covered, 70 ongoing negotiations, still 150 - 200 to go • Total : 650 agreements, 12000 to 16000 workers’ representatives involved EFBWW

3. 2. EMF PRINCIPLES • European approach instead of national approach • Strong co-ordination - binding guidelines negotiation process - EMF Co-ordinators - Task Force : negotiators, trade union co-ordinators, guides for the existing EWCs • Initiate negotiations • EWCs and European company policy are now one of the three main items in EMF activities EFBWW

4. 3. EMF EWC TASK FORCE • 25 – 30 members (= experts, negotiators, trade union coordinators = all in one person) • Started in 1994 with only a few participants, annual increase of participation. Important : always the same person ! Continuity ! • Countries : all EU cy’s (except : Irl., Gr.) + N, CZ, P, H • 5 two day meetings/year, English, Brussels + other • No external financial support (except seminars) • Elected chairman + support of EMF secretariat EFBWW

5. 3. EMF EWC TASK FORCE • Agenda : untill 1998 mainly ongoing negotiations, from 1999 : also support existing EWCs • Ongoing negotiations : . Coordination start new procedures . Follow – up ongoing negotiations . Decision on signing (or not signing) an agreement (see guidelines) EFBWW

6. 4. BINDING GUIDELINES (= Eur. approach) • No difference between Spanish, German or Norwegian ‘negotiator’ • Each SNB, one ‘EMF expert’ • Guarantees a minimum quality in all agreements • guidelines, approved by EMF Executive Committee (11/96) • Task Force decides in case of draft ‘under requirements of guidelines’ • Examples : Fiat, GE, ... EFBWW

7. 4. BINDING GUIDELINES Content : • Procedure • Pre-meeting • Simultaneous translation • EMF expert • Exceptional circumstances • Steering committee • Recommendations : C & E Europe, ... • ... EFBWW

8. 5. EMF EWC Co-ordinators Objective : EWCs should become real European information and consultation bodies, with trade union (EMF) influence, support and guidance How : designating an EMF Co-ordinator for every existing EWC EFBWW

9. 5. Role EMF EWC Co-ordinators • Must know what happens in his/her EWC • First contact for other unions • Support and guide for EWC members • Safeguard the European approach of the EWC and the EMF policy towards existing EWCs, CB, IP • Role EWC in exceptional circumstances • Link between EWC(members) and EMF EFBWW

10. 5. EMF EWC Co-ordinators Role EMF : • Assemble and support EMF co-ordinators • Training • Continuous flow of information on EMF decisions, opinions and activities EFBWW

11. 5. EMF EWC Co-ordinators Benefit or value : • One (EMF) approach towards existing EWCs • Not only of use for EWC support, but also extra input for EMF sectoral activities, collective bargaining and industrial policy • From a EWC Task Force to a Task Force on Company policy and EWCs => EMF Ambassadors in the 250 existing EWCs and for the 5000 to 6000 individual members EFBWW

12. 5. EMF EWC Co-ordinators • Nomination of EWC Co-ordinators • Objective : designation of an EMF Co-ordinator for every EWC To achieve all this : full support needed from every EMF member union EFBWW

13. 6. OTHER ACTIVITIES • Action plan Task Force till 2003 • Sectoral conferences (steel, ICT, automotive, ...) Survey in cooperation with ETUI • Role EWCs (negotiation ?) and role vs. Trade unions (see point 7) • Revision of the directive • European Company Statute • Database • Role EWCs in case of restructuring, mergers, acquisitions EFBWW

14. 6. OTHER ACTIVITIES • Global works councils (in cooperation with IMF) • Trainers manual and training seminars • Cooperation with CB and IP committee EFBWW

15. 7. ROLE EWCs vs. TRADE UNIONS • two - pillars at company level : employee pillar and trade union pillar • employee - pillar : works council, betriebsrat, conseil d’entreprise, ondernemingsraad, …. • Trade union pillar : shop steward, vertreuensman, délégué syndical, kaderlid, militant, … • in some countries : trade union pillar took over role employee pillar EFBWW

16. 7. ROLE EWCs vs. TRADE UNIONS • at European level : structure of social dialogue intersectoral : UNICE vs. ETUC sectoral : WEM, Eurofer,... vs. EMF company : European company managem. vs. … ? EWC ? EFBWW

17. 7. ROLE EWCs vs. TRADE UNIONS - > missing link in the European structure of social dialogue : no legal trade union role at European company level • Do we need a legal trade union role ? Yes, because not every EWC is as unionised as the EWCs of GM, FORD, SIEMENS, … which are 100 % unionised and steered by the unions. EFBWW

18. 7. ROLE EWCs vs. TRADE UNIONS • A legal trade union role at European company level and a clear (legal) understanding on the role (and limits) of the EWCs must guarantee that the EWC (also these with only a few union members) becomes not a council which also starts negotiations with management and in that way becomes a competitor for (national) legal trade union rights. EFBWW

19. 7. ROLE EWCs vs. TRADE UNIONS • EMF demands legal rights for trade unions at the European company level • EWCs : partners, no competitors • Complementarity between tasks (and limits !) of EWCs and trade unions - EWCs : mainly (improved) information and consultation rights - Trade union : collective bargaining on wages, working time (= classic trade union items) EFBWW