Involvement of Employees in the European Union: European Works Councils, the European Company Statute, Information and Consultation Rights

Labour, industrial relations and HRM specialists in Europe and elsewhere will watch with great interest the course of developments growing out of the pending EC directive on information and consultation rights of employees. Taken in conjunction with the European Works Council Directive and the European Company Statute, this directive tries to strengthen a growing spirit of cooperation between employees and employers. Here now is a timely and detailed new book that sets the scene with in-depth analysis, legislative history, and documentation of the interwoven genesis of these three crucially important labour law initiatives and their impact on industrial relations and HRM. Questions central to both the legislative debate and to this book include: How will the information and consultation rights be organised? What can be learned from the experience of the European Works Council Directive (1994), now that more than 600 EWCs have been established by agreements between management and labour? What is the role of trade unions and collective bargaining? What role can employees play in the exercise of managerial prerogative? What will be the impact on the employability of the employees? In his analysis Professor Blanpain shows that European lawmakers are now answering these questions aiming at clarity and coherence. The definitions (especially in the European Company Statute) of such terms as "involvement", "consultation", "information", and "participation", are careful to leave the notion of managerial prerogative intact.