EFJ GM 2001: 8. Resolution on European Works Council

European Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Resolutions
Adopted by the EFJ GM held in Saint Vincent, Italy, May 4-5, 2001



8. Resolution on European Works Council
From the National Union of Journalists (Great Britain)

The EFJ AGM, meeting in Saint Vincent on May 2001,
Recognising that by the end of 1999 more than 600 agreements on the creation of European Works Councils have been signed - 420 agreements concluded on the basis of Article 13 of the Directive, the remaining ones on the basis of Articles 5 and 6;

Noting that despite European Works Councils (EWCs) having been in place for six years now, practice has shown that it is often difficult for EWC members to obtain any information at all on what is going on. Again and again, EWC members are simply presented with a fait accompli. They are told afterwards what has already been decided;

Noting that the ETUC has repeatedly underlined the shortcoming of the Directive stressing the need to strengthen the right to information and consultation of employees in community-scale undertakings and groups of undertakings to information and consultation. The Directive must clarify that the representatives of employees need continuous and comprehensive information. Renault-Vilvoorde and GM-Luton were just two examples of many, where there was no dialogue with the employees' representatives;

Calls on the Steering Committee to raise awareness among affiliates to campaign with their trade union centres and put pressure on their governments for the Directive to be reformed in line with the proposals presented by the ETUC;

Calls on the EWC Working Group to take a more proactive role in promoting the setting up of EWCs in media companies throughout Europe.