"The adoption of the Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs) – partly a response to the increasing incidence of industrial restructuring across Europe – resulted for the first time in the creation of transnational industrial relations structures. This report examines the influence that EWCs have had on the handling of transnational restructuring. It finds substantial variation between EWCs in how they deal with restructuring. The findings show that while the role of most EWCs is limited solely to the provision of information and consultation with management, a notable few have been able to affect the implementation of such restructuring processes. The report finds that the influence that EWCs exert appears to be dependent on the attitudes of management, the existence or otherwise of strong trade union traditions, and the degree of international integration between a company's operations."

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