Towards a European Labour Identity: The Case of the European Works Council (Routledge Research in Employment Relations)

Since 1996 a growing number of European employees have access to a European works council (EWC), a transnational employee body designed to complement national forms of labour representation . This volume brings together a hep hive of contributors who present valuable new insights into how employee representatives from different European countries perform their jobs as members of European Works Councils in an attempt to develop some sense of a common European labour identity The transnational character of the EWC makes it an ideal microscopic structure through which the wider discourse surrounding identity – especially when associated with globalization, Europeanization, and mobility – can occur. ‘Towards a European Labour Identity’ examines not only the workings of the EWCs, utilising individual case studies, but also analyses and asses the link with the broader discussions on European identity as well as European trade union co-ordination and solidarity. European Works Councils And The Problem Of Identity / Herman Knudsen, Michael Whittall And Fred Huijgen -- The European Works Councils Directive : Changing Rationales For Eu Regulation Of Employee Participation / Michael Gold -- Living Apart Together? : A Chorus Of Multiple Identities / Andrew R Timming And Ulke Veersma -- Beyond European Works Council Networks : The Break-up Of The Rover Group / Michael Whittall -- Co-ordinating Across Borders : The Role Of European Industry Federations Within European Works Councils / Valeria Pulignano -- Regional Clusters Of Communication : Between National And European Identities / Monica Andersson And Christer Thörnqvist -- Ethno-, Poly- And Eurocentric European Works Councils : How Does German Involvement Influence Their Identity? / Helen Bicknell -- Still Learning From Europe : Spanish Participation In European Works Councils / Holm-detlev Köhler And Sergio González Begega -- Interest Representation And European Identity : A Twofold Challenge For European Works Councils / Volker Telljohann -- The European Works Council And The Feeling Of Interdependence / Hermann Kotthoff -- Preparing The Ground For A Social Europe? : European Works Councils And European Regulatory Identity / Miguel Martínez Lucio And Syd Weston -- Coming Of Age : The Development Of A Collective Identity In European Works Councils / Torsten Müller And Stefan Rüb -- Tackling The Identity Dilemma / Fred Huijgen, Michael Whittall And Herman Knudsen. Edited By Michael Whittall, Herman Knudsen And Fred Huijgen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgements List of contributors List of abbreviations List of tables, figures and appendixes Introduction: process and structure of the book European works councils and the problem of identity / Herman Knudsen, Michael Whittall and Fred Huijgen The European works councils directive: changing rationales for EU regulation of employee participation / Michael Gold Living apart together: a corus of multiple identities / Andrew R Timming and Ulke Veersma Beyond European works council networks: the break up of the Rover group / Michael Whittall Co-ordinating across borders: the role of European industry federations within European works councils / Valeria Pulignano Regional clusters of communication: between national and European identities / Monica Andersson and Christer Thörnqvist Ethno-, poly-, and Euro-centric European works councils: how does German involvement influence their identity? / Helen Bicknell Still learning from Europe: Spanish participation in European works councils / Holm-Detlev Köhler and Sergio González Begega Interest representation and European identity: a twofold challenge for European works councils / Volker Telljohann The European works council and the feeling of interdependence / Hermann Kotthoff Preparing the ground for a social Europe: European works councils and European regulatory identity / Miguel Martínez Lucio and Syd Weston Coming of age: the development of a collective identity in European works councils / Torsten Müller and Stefan Rüb Tackling the identity dilemma / Fred Huijgen, Michael Whittall and Herman Knudsen. 'Towards a European Labour Identity' analyzes developments within European Works Councils (EWCs) from the perspective of European identity building. The book presents research findings, addressing the micro-processes of Europeanisation of industrial relations as well as adding insight into the wider issues of European social integration Bringing together a collection of respected contributors, this book explores how employee representatives perform their jobs as members of the European Works Councils.