The Position of Dutch Works Councils in Multinational Corporations

This study examines the position of Dutch work councils in multinational corporations in the context of the tension between globalized decision making in multinational corporations and employee participation at the local level. It looks at the applicable legal framework and empirical data to understand their position and provide examples of good practice. It considers the status quo of the position of these councils and whether there is a need for improvement of their position, which tools in the Dutch legal framework can be used to effectively involve them in light of the increasingly globalized economy, what extent the rights identified in the legal analysis are applied in practice and whether differences between Dutch and foreign multinational corporations exist, and to what extent examples of good practice exist aimed at facilitating the employee participation process in multinational corporations. It focuses on the statutory rights relevant in the context of employee participation, particularly the rights resulting from the Works Council Act and the structure regime applicable to large undertakings, and draws on questionnaires and interviews about issues related to employee participation. It discusses the Dutch legislative framework on employee participation and the most important rights and duties of Dutch work councils; the contributing factors of work councils; the practical application of the legal framework, focusing on the use of rights and the occurrence of legal issues in practice, in terms of access to information, consultation meetings, and access to and use of facilities; the relationship between the work council and the Dutch supervisory board and effects on corporate governance issues; and improving the position of work councils through the use of a process-oriented employee participation mechanisms. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2018 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)