European Google Works Council Established
13. April 2023Google European Works Council To Increase Worker Representation
Google’s European workforce – including workers in Switzerland and the UK – will soon be covered by the first-ever European Works Council (EWC) agreement that will mean employees have the right to be informed and consulted on decisions that affect their interests.
The new agreement, signed this week, is critically important as the tech giant rolls out layoffs across Europe without adequate notice or input from employees.
This global workforce reduction programme has partly contributed to an accelerated growth in union membership especially in the UK, Ireland and Switzerland, the three largest European country operations for Google.
The agreement establishes the first EWC at the company. EWCs represent employees of a company that are based in Europe. Through these councils, companies must share information and consult with worker representatives. They allow worker representatives to be consulted in decisions that could affect employment or working conditions at European level. EWCs are a legal requirement for companies operating in two or more member states of the European Union, if they are initiated by employees.