In-house Seminars

To be able to establish a European works council, to become familiar with the different systems of industrial relations and to use the information and consultation rights effectively, in-depth training is essential. Only a well-functioning council can influence the strategic planning of central management in a timely manner. Works council members bring along a wide variety of experience from their own countries, but when they cross national borders at the latest a new learning process begins: about others, with others and finally about ourselves.

Since 2011, the new EWC legislation provides a legal right to training

Many European works councils organize in-house training in conjunction with a plenary or select committee meeting. There are also in-house seminars that are held independently of the regular meetings and lasting several days up to a whole week. Such seminars are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the respective company.

Depending on the timetable and resources available for each specific case we are always happy to provide a non-binding training proposal. Topics can be the same as covered in our seminars, where individual registrations are possible. Subjects taken from our advisory activities can also be covered during in-house seminars, there being no fixed border between our advisory and training offerings.

The costs are to be borne by central management (see legal basis for trainings).

 

Examples of In-house Seminars

Training on EU labour law

The EWC Academy held a training in November 2015 for the Wall company works council in Berlin on EU labour legislation and its effect on German labour law. Wall, with about 1,000 employees in Germany, is specialized in development and production of street furniture and marketing of outdoor advertising space. Since 2009 Wall has been owned by the French group JCDecaux who has, up
to now, not yet established a European works council.

Training for newly established French EWC

The Edenred European works council held its second meeting, in June 2015 in Brussels. The EWC Academy delivered training on the EWC's rights and duties and on corporate social responsibility. The French company is the world market leader in food vouchers and was able to establish its own EWC following the spin-off from the hotel group, Accor.

EWC training for US company based in Ireland

The annual plenary EWC meeting for Ingersoll Rand was held in June 2018 in Brussels. The conglomerate has 45,000 staff worldwide and is one of the oldest companies in the US. It produces air conditioning systems and machinery, amongst others for the automobile industry. In 2009, the company´s legal headquarters were relocated to Ireland and as a result, the EWC agreement from 2013 falls now under Irish jurisdiction. The European works council had already been established back in 1997. The training given by the EWC Academy covered in particular the reinforcement of the EWC work and the characteristics of a correct information and consultation procedure.

Communication training in British packaging group

The annual training week for DS Smith’s EWC members took place at the University of Warwick in the Midlands in June 2014. The goal of the training, which was delivered without interpreters, was to improve foreign language skills and to reinforce the EWC profile from a content standpoint. The EWC Academy provided suggestions on the role of individual representatives and on the use of the new EU standards on information and consultation.

Improving EWC work at Unilever

In October 2022, the bi-annual plenary meeting of Unilever's European Works Council took place in Rotterdam. In rapid succession, the British consumer goods group has been restructuring and selling off entire business units. There is already a "Protocol for Managing Consultations at European Level" within the EWC agreement. With support of the EWC Academy, delegates discussed further opportunities for improvement.

 

Further examples of training for European works councils:

→ ABB   → SEB   → Holcim   → KWS Saat   → Egger   → Hanon Systems   → Generali

Further examples of training for SE works councils:

→ Eppendorf   → tesa   → GK Software   → Busch   → Tom Tailor   → Axel Springer

We speak several languages

Our trainers are specialized in the various domains of transnational works council activities and deliver seminars in German, English or French without interpreters.

We provide either a dedicated trainer or a team depending on the type of event. Our target group is employee representatives at local, national and group level, European works councils and unions.

On request we also develop seminars including participants from management.

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Picture:

Here is the way to the in-house training of Veolia's European works council
in a Paris hotel.