ABSTRACT
European Works Councils (EWCs) are constituted through the actions of its members both internally and externally. The pace, direction and course of the process are not only determined by these actions, however: they are not autonomous. Rather, they are also shaped by the related actions of others, in which each action is determined by the structure in which it takes place, and in turn serves to shape this structure. Other fields of action have an indirect influence on the operation and policies of EWCs: for example, those between European and national trade unions, between national employee representatives and employees, between central corporate management and management in national subsidiaries, and between corporate managements and employer associations. The relationship of tension in the field of interaction is between the economic interests of the company, as represented by management, and the social interests of the employees, represented by the EWC members.
