EU: EU employment ministers call for workers information and consultation rules to be respected during restructurings

During an EU Council meeting on 13 October, EU Labor Ministers included the topic of information and consultation rights of workers in their discussions. The ministers agreed to affirm, at the end of their meeting (here), that in the context of the important restructuring that the EU is currently undergoing, ” it was very important to ensure workers’ involvement in company decision-making, notably in cases such as company reorganizations, closures, mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, outsourcing, and relocations.” They also insisted that “the pandemic should not serve as an excuse to cut workers’ rights on information and consultation,” and stressed that “it was crucial for the economic recovery and successful restructurings to ensure inclusive social dialogue at all levels”. During the press conference that followed this Council meeting, the EU Commissioner in charge of Employment, Nicolas Schmit, recalled that companies must respect European legislation on information and consultation. While little involved currently, political positions do show that the subject of workers’ participation in decision-making, and of ‘Democracy at work’, as promoted by the European trade union movement (c.f. article No.12117), could reappear on the European agenda.