ABSTRACT
Any consideration of the relationship between European Works Councils (EWCs) and trade unions in the light of the model's requirements for a flow of information to national workforces and EWCs' capacity to engage in consultation and carry out projects must begin by establishing the preconditions under which such a relationship can emerge at all. In Germany, there is a particular fear within the trade union movement that the principle of industry collective bargaining – already the focus of controversy – could be further weakened. On the other hand, there are those who would argue that since some additional flexibility ought to be introduced into German collective agreements, the injection of a degree of 'syndicalist' company-based bargaining via EWCs might be seen as a positive contribution. Trade union activity in the field of collective bargaining could also be weakened if unions become overburdened by demands from EWCs for advice and support.
