Enthusiasm reaches the seminar room

From 7 to 10 October 2025, the EWC Academy held a legal seminar in Würzburg on updating EWC agreements, with the revision of the EWC Directive playing an important role. The debate in the European Parliament and the decisive vote took place during...

SE works councils not affected by changes to EWC law

Since 2004, companies operating in several countries have been able to choose between a national legal form (e.g. German or French) and a European company (“Societas Europaea” = SE). Co-determination in the supervisory or administrative board of the SE and the rules for...

Call for an EU directive on subcontracting and labour intermediation

On 1 October 2025, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) formulated concrete demands in a resolution for an EU legal framework to regulate employment agencies, limit subcontracting and ensure liability throughout the subcontracting chain. Abuse in subcontracting and...

Is the EU directive on telework and the right to disconnect on its way?

On 6 October 2025, the second round of consultations with the European social partners on a planned EU directive on fair telework and the right to disconnect, which began in July 2025, came to an end...

Supply Chain Directive watered down

On 13 November 2025, the European Parliament held a crucial vote on the weakening of the Supply Chain Directive. 382 MEPs voted in favour, 249 against and 13 abstained. The majority could be reached because Christian Democrats and Liberals voted together with...

Tough formal requirements for collective redundancies

On 30 October 2025, the European Court of Justice ruled on two cases filed by the German Federal Labour Court. The issues related to the consequences of procedural irregularities in the notification of collective redundancies and possible sanctions. The two court rulings interpret...

Minimum Wage Directive remains in force

On 11 November 2025, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg announced the long-awaited ruling on the Minimum Wage Directive. It not only stipulates appropriate minimum wages, but also aims to reinforce collective bargaining. 20 EU member states in which less than 80%...

Labour Court made massive legal errors

On 14 November 2025, the High Court in Dublin ruled in the third instance on the legal dispute between the EWC chairman of the US company Verizon Communications and its central management based in Ireland. European works councils cannot take legal action as a collective body in Ireland...

Fine for trade union in Finland

On 19 September 2025, the Finnish Labour Court fined the aviation union IAU €67,000 for an illegal strike. On 2 December 2024, it had almost brought all air traffic at Helsinki Airport to a standstill. It is the first ruling since the reform...

New collective bargaining law in Italy

On 18 October 2025, a law to ensure fair minimum wages and collective bargaining came into force in Italy. There is traditionally no statutory minimum wage in Italy, but there is a very high level of collective bargaining coverage. In December 2023...

Action plan to reinforce collective bargaining in Ireland

On 5 November 2025, the Irish government published an action plan on collective bargaining policy. According to the EU Minimum Wage Directive, all EU countries with less than 80% collective bargaining coverage are obliged to do so...

Major French bank reorganises teleworking

On 1 July 2025, a revised charter on teleworking for 132,000 staff in 22 countries was concluded in Paris between the central management of BNP Paribas, the European works council and two European trade union federations. It replaces the charter from April 2022...

Employee shares and climate charter with the support of the SE works council

On 8 October 2025, the French care home operator Clariane launched the “Together” (French: “Ensemble”) programme, a share plan for the entire workforce. Regardless of country, profession or status, each of the 70,000 employees in six countries will...

Commitments regarding the introduction of artificial intelligence

At the plenary meeting of Axa's European works council in Madrid on 27 November 2025, a charter on social dialogue regarding the development of artificial intelligence (AI) was signed. It contains commitments on the involvement of employee representatives and...

Austrian logistics group integrates new EU directive

On 24 June 2025, a new EWC agreement was concluded for Gebrüder Weiss at the group headquarters in Lauterach (Vorarlberg). Gebrüder Weiss has been in existence for more than 200 years and is therefore considered Austria's oldest logistics company...

Swedish insurance company with European divisional works councils

A new EWC agreement for If Skadeförsäkring was concluded in Stockholm on 28 October 2025. It replaces the previous agreement from 2021 and became necessary due to the integration of a new subsidiary in Denmark in July 2025. The EWC has been in place since 2001...

Swedish group violates its own framework agreement in the United States

On 14 April 2025, a delegation from UNI Global, the international umbrella organisation for service sector unions, was prevented from entering an Elanders plant in New Jersey. The majority of the workforce at the logistics centre, which supplies customers in the New York fashion industry...

Japanese automotive supplier relocates EWC from France to Germany

On 25 November 2025, an EWC agreement under German law was concluded for Minebea AccessSolutions. The EWC was established in June 2014 under French law under the former name U-Shin. Minebea acquired U-Shin in April 2019 and...

Full-parity Supervisory Board for vehicle electronics spin-off

An SE participation agreement for Aumovio has been in force since 18 July 2025 and the SE supervisory board was inaugurated on 5 September 2025. The former Automotive division of the Continental group now operates as an independent listed company with...

Family business avoids Supervisory Board co-determination

DF World of Spices, based in Dissen (near Osnabrück), has become a European Company (SE) since 28 October 2025. The spice manufacturer has 3,100 employees, including 1,600 in Germany and 360 in Romania. With brands such as Fuchs and Ostmann...

Codetermination on supervisory board for Chinese battery manufacturer?

Contemporary Amperex Technology Thuringia (CATL) in Arnstadt has been operating as a European Company (SE) since 17 December 2025. Since no SE agreement could be concluded by the end of the six-month negotiation period, the entry in the commercial...

European works councils in the transport sector

The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) in Brussels has set up a special EWC section on its website. Transport, a highly internationalised sector, confronts European works councils with a high level of cross-border restructuring. On 12 November 2025...

Risks of digitalisation in the workplace

The OSH Barometer is an online information system on occupational health and safety. It is based on statistics, surveys and public data for each of the 27 EU countries plus Norway and Iceland. A new section shows the impact of digital technologies on work intensity...

Co-determination and collective bargaining in Germany

The Hans Böckler Foundation is providing new videos on industrial relations in Germany on its co-determination portal. The foundation is the think tank of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), named after its first chairman after the Second World War..

Labour law in Denmark in 16 languages

On a joint website, seven Danish trade unions representing a total of 90,000 workers in the construction industry provide information about the characteristics of the labour and social systems in Denmark. The information is primarily aimed...

New guide on algorithmic management

On 20 September 2025, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) published a guide to support trade unions in dealing with algorithmic management in the workplace. It explains what algorithmic management means and the risks associated with it, e.g. in the allocation of work, remuneration...

Declining trade union membership around the globe

On 30 September 2025, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based in Paris, presented a policy brief on the development of trade unions and collective bargaining. The richest 38 industrialised countries in the...

Fair working time models in service professions

On 7 October 2025, which marked the World Day for Decent Work, the European Federation of Services Unions (UNI Europa) presented a study on working time in four sectors. Based on interviews with academics and trade union representatives from 16 countries...

Country comparison on the role of works councils in the ecological transition

A working paper by the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute (HSI) on the role of employee representatives in the ecological transition has been available since 20 October 2025. The trade union friendly institute based in Frankfurt am Main...

German mechanical engineering group plans reorganisation

From 29 September to 2 October 2025, the annual plenary meeting of the Jungheinrich EWC took place at the company's headquarters in Hamburg. The manufacturer of forklift trucks has 21,000 employees worldwide, including 8,500 in Germany. In July 2025, central management announced...

Spanish software company streamlines internal structures

Since 16 October 2025, the EWC Academy has been advising the European works council of Amadeus on information and consultation regarding a planned restructuring which will affect around 200 jobs in 21 countries. Amadeus operates a reservation system for the travel and...

French automotive supplier prepares for new EWC Directive

On 4 December 2025, the European works council of ARaymond held an extraordinary meeting in Barcelona to discuss its internal structures and the ongoing revision of its EWC agreement. It has not yet set up a steering committee. It represents 1,900 employees in France, Spain, Italy...

EWC established before IPO and without delay

On 3 July 2025, the new EWC of The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) was inaugurated in Berlin (photo). The subsidiary of the British Unilever Group, which employs 19,000 people, started operations on 1 July 2025. The world's largest ice cream producer is...

SE Works Council with inclusion officer and youth representative

Since 24 June 2025, Brainlab, based in Munich, has been operating as a European Company (SE). The global market leader for software-based technologies in surgery has 2,000 staff worldwide, including nearly 1,600 in Germany, where there is currently no works council...