More flexibility for start-ups in the European single market

On 18 March 2026, the European Commission presented the draft regulation on the introduction of an "EU Inc." as a possible legal form for start-ups and companies expanding internationally, which had already been announced in January 2025. The new legal form, similar to...

EU Directive on Quality Jobs in the Planning Stage

On 4 December 2025, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited Quality Jobs Roadmap, which aims to identify new challenges for labour law and culminate in a new EU directive. The first phase of consultation with the social partners...

European Parliament calls for a just green and digital transformation

The European Parliament's resolution on a just transition in the world of work of 20 January 2026 should also be seen in the context of the ongoing initiatives for an EU directive on quality jobs (see above). By a majority of 420 votes to 207...

European Parliament calls for EU legal framework on subcontracting

On 12 February 2026, the European Parliament adopted a "Resolution on addressing subcontracting chains and the role of intermediaries in order to protect workers' rights" by a majority of 332 votes to 209. The aim is to curb abuse in...

Historic turning point in Britain

On 18 December 2025, the new British Employment Rights Act came into force, one of the most important reforms of the Labour Party, which has been in power since July 2024. It is regarded as the biggest improvement in employee rights for decades...

Is "el capitalismo alemán" coming to Spain?

On 5 February 2026, an international group of experts presented the report on democracy in the workplace requested by the Spanish government. In addition to financial participation of the workforce in the company's capital, the report focuses in particular on co-determination...

Reinstating the Greek collective bargaining system

On 16 February 2026, a law to reinforce collective bargaining agreements came into force in Greece. It enacts a social agreement concluded on 26 November 2025 between employer organisations, trade unions and the government to end the restrictions imposed...

Ryanair bars Irish trade union from EWC

On 17 December 2025, the Labour Court in Dublin ruled on the election of Irish delegates to the European works council of the airline Ryanair. It had received a complaint from the Fórsa trade union, which is recognised by Ryanair as a collective...

Mediation procedure avoids legal proceedings 

On 11 March 2026, the EWC and the central management of American Express Global Business Travel ("Amex GBT") signed a letter of intent on their future cooperation. Recently, there had been repeated differences of opinion regarding the interpretation of...

Co-determination side-stepping through SE comes before the Federal Court of Justice

The German works councils of the Berlin-based direct bank N26 have appealed to the Federal Court of Justice in the third instance in the battle for employee representation on the supervisory board. The legal dispute, which began in April 2024...

Luxembourg steel group seeking to relocate functions to India

On 29 January 2026, ArcelorMittal's central management informed the European works council in a video conference that it intends to relocate 5,600 jobs in IT, logistics and maintenance in 20 countries in order to "optimise and standardise activities spread across...

German chemical group plans to relocate functions to India

On 11 February 2026, BASF's central management announced its intention to bundle its finance, HR and IT functions in a new global hub in India by the end of 2028. The aim is to "increasingly utilise cost-efficient locations". The Global Business Services subsidiary...

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...