Studies of European Works Councils (EWCs) generally tend to ignore research within local and national structures of employee representation. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to stress the link between local, national and European levels of interest representation. ~e research makes equally important contributionsjn terms of its theoretical approach and its empirical focus, by integrating both horizontal and vertical structures of representation. As a supranational institution that has been imposed on existing structures, EWCs have an uneasy location in the theoretical framework of industrial relations. Consequently, in this research emphasis is placed on ~e importance of the national and plant levels of representation and the significance of theorising interest representation, information and consultation, job regulation and collective bargaining arrangements. The research is placed in the wider context of European integration and the challenges that globalisatiori places on national and transnational industrial relations. Findings presented emerge from fieldwork undertaken in both Germany and the. UK, involving twelve workplaces in three transnational corporations in the pulp and paper industry, an industry affected by''intense restructuring. The findings suggest that despite some effort to integrate EWCs into the existing structures of employee representation, EWC representatives from the participating companies found it difficult to respond collectively at the transnational (European) level to the process of restructuring. Whilst EWCs are predominately used to exchange information, the regulation of issues emerging from the EWC setting are predominately dealt with at the local and national level ofinterest representation. Secondly, the findings suggest that major differences in the experience, background and rights of German and UK. delegates are crucial in terms of the subsequent action that they' are able to take. Consequently, the experience of EWCs reflects strategic choices made by industrial relations actors influenced by the national industrial relations systems and traditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:485788 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Weissmeyer, Carola |
| Publisher | Keele University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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