Fausto Durante has been European coordinator of several EWCs. Each experience has had a different taste. Sometimes there were managers who thought it was right to exchange views with the council, others simply did so because they were compelled by the directive, leaving a bad taste in your mouth and an acute sense of frustration.
What is it that makes the difference in the relationship between the management and the EWC?
Motivation. It is extremely important that both the company and the EWC delegates have faith in the role played by the council. Wherever there is competence and awareness, information and consultation should provide a clear picture of the company’s future prospects and of how its employees can contribute to achieving them.
To do what?
To date, the EWC has mainly had a function of representation and coordination. It has power to make agreements on some important yet general issues, with no immediate consequences on the bargaining level. The Cgil has been insisting for a few years on the need that the EWCs, or other bodies of transnational representation, gain bargaining power.
Where to start?
From transversal issues such as working hours, work planning, production flow. Today’s multinational corporations are in a condition of permanent restructuring. Therefore, we must identify someone who can be an active art of a negotiation conducted on a European scale. A body appointed by workers upon the indications of trade unions. If this body were to be the EWC, we need to discuss its structure and amend the directive. We need to outline a new model of relationships between councils, trade unions, and workers to overcome some critical issues. Indeed, the national and international contexts are not always kept together by an effective communication. Sometimes EWC members act without involving the trade union. In fact, they are not obliged to. To negotiate this, we need a basic uniformity. Clarity and mandate democracy are essential.
Could the operations of the EWC have consequences on second-level negotiation?
If the EWC works properly and delegates are given the opportunity to disclose the information they receive as well as to meet the workers of all the locations where the Group has its offices, the effects on territorial bargaining can only be positive. Knowing the plans of a company in advance can stimulate trade union action. Adapting your strategy to a developing context also means not insisting obsessively on purely defensive and conflictual attitudes. In this scenario, it would be more natural to consider the workers’ point of view as part of the company policy development process. This is true for multinational corporations as well as for any other company. It is no coincidence that, in the joint document signed by Cgil, Cisl and Uil on 14th January last concerning the system of industrial relations, special attention was paid to participatory mechanisms. An effective EWC is a best practice in itself and, as such, should be considered as an example even by other bodies. What we are facing today is a multi-faceted reality. An immense land of conquest.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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Sito web a cura del Dipartimento Internazionale di CGIL Lombardia: internazionale@cgil.lombardia.it (Responsabile Fabio Ghelfi).
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