The European Transport Workers’ Federation has released a complete set of resources to support trade unions and workers’ representatives in European Works Councils (EWCs). They come at a crucial time when the transport sector faces unprecedented challenges from globalisation, technological change, and corporate consolidation.
For instance, the updated toolkit for EWCs in the transport sector, developed in collaboration with Syndex, incorporates recent important developments, such as Brexit implications, COVID-19 lessons, the ongoing revision of the EWC Directive, and new Corporate Sustainability directives.
The updated Policy Guidelines on the coordination of European Works Councils cover all aspects of coordination and clarify the essential roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders involved. They also provide guidance for affiliated organisations, trade union representatives, and EWC members to navigate the complex process of establishing and operating EWCs.
Self-training tools and videos were also developed to enhance the knowledge of affiliates who can individually dive into particular topics at their own pace.
ETF’s General Secretary Livia Spera stated, “EWCs are critical instruments for defending workers’ rights and promoting social dialogue in multinational companies. With these updated resources now available in multiple languages, we’re reinforcing our commitment to support EWCs and strengthening our coordination role across the transport sector.”
The new materials are part of ETF’s broader strategy to enhance worker representation and democratic participation at all levels of corporate structures. They were developed through the project “Transport EWCs on the path to optimal performance”, co-funded by the European Union. They include :
- ETF Strategy for European Works Councils in English, French and German: https://www.etf-europe.org/resource/etf-strategy-for-european-works-councils/
- ETF Guidelines in case of transnational company restructurings: https://www.etf-europe.org/resource/etf-guidelines-in-case-of-transnational-company-restructurings/
- The Specific recommendations for Central and Eastern European Countries: https://www.etf-europe.org/resource/ewcs-specific-recommendations-for-central-and-eastern-european-countries/
- The Guidance document on Human Rights Due Diligence in Transport: https://www.etf-europe.org/resource/human-rights-due-diligence-in-transport-guidance-on-csrd-and-cs3d/
- The Toolkit is available in 10 languages:
- The self-training tools: https://www.etf-europe.org/resource/transport-ewcs-on-the-path-to-optimal-performance-self-training-tools/
- The training videos are available in 5 languages. To select your language, change the language in the Youtube video settings.
