Employee reps and European Works Councils
[ch 5: page 171]In companies with operations in two or more EU member states employing more than 1,000 employees in total (minimum 150 employees in at least two member states), a European Works Council (EWC) must, if requested, be established. The EWC is designed to provide a forum for informing and consulting employees.
EWC members need not be union reps, but in practice in most large workplaces, unions will nominate candidates.
As a result of Brexit, workers employed in the UK will no longer be able to ask their employer to set up an EWC from 1 January 2021. However, any requests for an EWC submitted before this date must be completed.
The UK government says current EWC reps “may” be able to be involved with their company’s EWC from 1 January 2021, but only on a voluntary basis with the employer’s agreement and that “we will make sure the enforcement framework, rights and protections for employees in UK EWCs are still available as far as possible.”