Laulom, Sylvaine --- "Toward New Synergies through Worker Representatives?" [2011] ELECD 891; in Moreau, Marie-Ange (ed), "Before and After the Economic Crisis" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Before and After the Economic Crisis

Editor(s): Moreau, Marie-Ange

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849809924

Section: Chapter 12

Section Title: Toward New Synergies through Worker Representatives?

Author(s): Laulom, Sylvaine

Number of pages: 16

Extract:

12. Toward new synergies through
worker representatives?
Sylvaine Laulom

For Brian Bercusson (2004), participation of workers through their
representatives was without doubt, part of the European Social Model.
According to him:

Contrasting the presence and role of trade unions and workers' representative
organisation in the USA with European experience illustrates the singularity of
the European model of employment and industrial relations. Its manifestation,
in all its diversity at both EU and Member States levels, in the form of macro-
level national dialogue, collective bargaining at intersectoral and sectoral levels,
and collective participation in decision-making at the workplace is the most
salient quality distinguishing the European model of employment and indus-
trial relations.

In another article he wrote that `EU law is shaping an economic model
incorporating mandatory information and consultation of employees and
their representatives' (Bercusson, 2002).
The building of a European model of workers' participation started in
the 1970s (Laulom, 2005). The Community's first Social Action Program
of 1974 had three main objectives. One of them was the increased involve-
ment of management and labour in the economic and social decisions of
the Community and of workers in companies. After the adoption of the
first social directives in 1975 and 1977 dealing with workers' participa-
tion and restructurings of enterprises,1 workers' participation has been
one of the main areas of European intervention along with gender and
discrimination and health and safety. The importance given to workers'


1 Council Directive 75/129/EEC of 17 February 1975 ...