ABSTRACT
Modes of representation within the firm and the workplace have developed through a variety of forms in EU countries, and are related to the process of collective bargaining in various ways (see chapter 2, this volume). First, worker representation can be established with varying degrees of independence of the employer and management. That is to say, worker representatives may be imposed, selected or elected by a variety of means. However, within the EU it is generally accepted that worker representatives within workplaces and their forums for discussing issues with management should be independent of employer interests. Second, channels for workers’ voices can be established through a body of formal legislation. In some cases custom and practice remains very important, as in the UK, but in most European countries there is some form of constitutional underpinning. Third, bodies such as works councils, which we discuss below, are often consultative but in some countries bargain collectively with management. The fourth characteristic is the relation with trade unions, which in the EU is significant. Workers’ collective representation is tied into the broader networks and structures of trade unions by virtue of the nature of the representatives (their affiliation and allegiances) at works councils and similar bodies. Each of these characteristics have, for the second half of the twentieth century at least, underpinned the nature of worker voice within the European workplace.
