As the influence of labor unions declines in many industrialized nations, particularly the United States, the influence of workers has decreased. Because of the need for greater involvement of workers in changing production systems, as well as frustration with existing structures of workplace regulation, the search has begun for new ways of providing a voice for workers outside the traditional collective bargaining relationship. Works councils—institutionalized bodies for representative communication between an employer and employees in a single workplace—are rare in the Anglo-American world, but are well-established in other industrialized countries. The contributors to this volume survey the history, structure, and functions of works councils in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Canada, and the United States. Special attention is paid to the relations between works councils and unions and collective bargaining, works councils and management, and the role and interest of governments in works councils. On the basis of extensive comparative data from other Western countries, the book demonstrates powerfully that well-designed works councils may be more effective than labor unions at solving management-labor problems.
As the influence of labor unions declines in many industrialized nations, particularly the United States, the influence of workers has decreased. Because of the need for greater involvement of workers in changing production systems, as well as frustration with existing structures of workplace regulation, the search has begun for new ways of providing a voice for workers outside the traditional collective bargaining relationship. Works councils—institutionalized bodies for representative communication between an employer and employees in a single workplace—are rare in the Anglo-American world, but are well-established in other industrialized countries. The contributors to this volume survey the history, structure, and functions of works councils in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Canada, and the United States. Special attention is paid to the relations between works councils and unions and collective bargaining, works councils and management, and the role and interest of governments in works councils. On the basis of extensive comparative data from other Western countries, the book demonstrates powerfully that well-designed works councils may be more effective than labor unions at solving management-labor problems.
Anton Pannekoek discusses the viability of workers' councils as an effective means of administrating a socialist society, as contrasted to the centralized doctrines of state communism or state capitalism. Conceived as an alternative way to establish and sustain socialism, the workers councils have so far never been successfully established at a national scale. Part of the problem was disagreements among revolutionaries about their size and responsibilities; while Lenin supported the notion during the revolutionary period, the councils were phased out in favor of a centralized state, rather than diffused through the strata of society. Pannekoek draws on history for his ideas, noting the deficiencies of previous revolutions and the major objectives a future revolution should hold. The various tasks a state of worker's councils must accomplish, and the enemies that must be overcome - notably fascists, bourgeois elements and big business - are listed.
Excerpt from Experience With Works Councils in the United States In August, 1919, the number of Works Councils in industrial concerns in the United States was 225, according to a survey made at that time by the National Industrial Conference Board for its first report on the Works Council movement, which gave an account of substantially all that were then functioning. Since then, a number of employers have abandoned their employee representation plans, but a much larger number of employers have instituted Councils in their plants, so that in February, 1922, there were approximately 725 such organizations in operation in this country. The great majority of the Works Councils covered in the Boards first report on the subject 1 had at the time of its publication been functioning on an average for not more than one year. This was a year of business prosperity; production was in demand, labor was scarce and wages were high. Following this came a period of business adversity; the demand for goods fell off, working forces were reduced, and wages declined. Widespread interest was manifest as to how Works Councils would stand the strain of such a period of depression. Were employee representation plans practicable only in times characterized by high wages and high prices? Would employees lose interest in the Councils when wage reductions became necessary? These and similar questions were raised as to the status and value of Works Councils during a period of decreased production and falling wages. In order to answer these questions adequately, and ascertain the practical experience of employers with their Works Councils during such a period, the National Industrial Conference Board conducted a country-wide investigation. The great majority of the Works Councils treated in the present report have been in operation for periods varying from two to five years. An account of industry's experiences with these Works Councils during that period is presented herewith. Terminology The term Works Council as used in this report is taken to mean "a form of industrial organization under which the employees of an individual establishment, through representatives chosen by and Works Councils in the United States." Research Report No. 21, Boston, October, 1919. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
First published in 1999, this volume evaluates the context, role and development of EWCs through eight case studies and asks whether EWCs will promote the Europeanisation of Industrial relations. The EWCs were the first European institution in the field of social policy and went far beyond simply requiring national implementation of a common framework. They were innovative in their requirements for a judicious blend of subsidiarity, shared responsibility and flexibility. This study represents the culmination of research carried out between September 1996 and September 1997 and sets out to anchor a number of qualitative case-studies in a systematic, nationally comparative approach.
