Resumen de European-level bargaining in action? Joint texts negotiated by European Works Councils

Mark Carley

• This article, based largely on research carried out for the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, examines the extent to which European Works Councils have concluded joint texts with management, and the content and context of such texts. The practice of negotiating joint texts appears to be very limited, but growing, with some more substantive texts starting to appear. Most joint texts are frameworks for lower-level action, and the key themes dealt with are company restructuring and social rights. It seems that the dynamics within each company that lead to the conclusion of a joint text are complex, and involve the interplay of different factors of differing strengths.