About the European Works Councils database
Structure of the database
Current figures and features
Access to the database
History
Database structure
The structure of the database is based on three main levels: Companies, (having one or more) European Works Councils, (based upon one or more) Agreements. You can browse through the three levels starting from any individual company record, EWC body or agreement.
Additionally the companies, EWCs or agreements are linked to
- organisations (national trade unions or European Industry Federations) who co-ordinate EWC action or are involved in signing the agreements (see an example here)
- additional documents (judgements of the court, reports, articles etc.) that include references to the company, EWC or agreement
Features
Documents available for download
- 2055 EWC agreements
- 179 Sectoral social dialogue agreements
- 126 Global agreements
- 94 Revision of the EWC Directive
- 94 Substantive agreements
- 77 Additional documents
- 73 EU legal provisions
- 43 National case law
- 41 Cross-sector agreements
- 35 National legal provisions
- 27 European Court of Justice
- 9 EUSD framework
Search criteria
For all three main levels Companies, European Works Councils and Agreements, searches can be performed on
-
Any part of a company name
The system searches through all parent companies and subsidiaries and returns the parent company that has the given string in its name or in the name of one of its subsidiaries. -
Sector of activity
The system returns all records linked to a parent company that has activities in the chosen sector. For more information about sectors, see this page. -
Headquarter country
The system returns all records linked to a parent company that has its headquarters in the chosen country.
At the European Works Councils level, you can also search by year in which the EWC was created.
A global search on all documents available for download can be performed by these criteria:
- Any part of a title or description of the document
- Any part of a company name the document is linked to
- An organisation the document is linked to
- A topic the document is linked to
This search returns a list of documents of all types (EWC agreements, national case law, additional documents...)
Free graphs, statistics
On the European Works Councils page, you will find a link to a set of free graphs that will regularly be updated.
A number of other statistics are available for paid subscribers from the same page.
Access to the database
There are three options for obtaining access to the database now:
- FREE access for NON-REGISTERED users:
- free consultation of brief data on companies, EWC agreements or other documents.
- free viewing of the first page of the agreements.
- FREE Access for REGISTERED users:
- free consultation of brief data on companies, agreements and other documents
- free download of up to five complete EWC agreements.
-
PAID Access: registered users paying a subscription get
- free consultation of brief data on EWC agreements or other documents.
- consultation of company data, including notes and employee figures
- a link to the EMF EWC database (wherever available. To view the data, you must register to their service)
- download all available documents
- get assistance with specific statistical requests (exclusively for paid subscribers)
+ 24-hours subscription
+ 1-year subscription
For further information on access please refer to the subscriptions section.
Brief history
In collaboration with some twenty-one research institutes and the European Industry Federations, the ETUI initially created a database that identifies multinational companies that fall within the scope of the EWC Directive. This database was put together for the first time in 1995.
In 1999, the ETUI created another database containing English texts of agreements setting up EWCs.
In 2004 the collection of agreements and the data on multinationals were integrated into a single database and supplemented with a selection of data analysing the contents of the agreements, provided by SDA-Infopoint. The latest published update was issued in 2006 on CD Rom.
In 2005 a selection of the data was put online which enabled EWC members to inform us about changes in the composition of their EWC or to send us copies of renegotiated agreements.
In 2007 the database was made accessible online via www.ewcdb.eu and complemented with new features.
Thanks to the strong cooperation with the European Industry Federations (EIFs) and thanks to various networks of researchers we have been able to complete the collection of texts and update, in a reliable way, records for a number of EWCs and companies. The team working on the EWC project has put a great deal of effort into ensuring quality and accuracy of the EWC database. Nonetheless, as with any database that is covering an evolving subject, the available information will at times be incomplete. The ETUI will ensure, however, that updated data will occur on the website as new information becomes available.
We hope you will find the data and texts you require in this database and will be glad to receive any comments, suggestions and corrections regarding both the content and the interface of the database and website to Irmgard Pas, e-mail: .
For any further information or comments regarding the contents, e-mail: .
Irmgard Pas
Data processing manager, ETUI-REHS
Research department
Romuald Jagodzinski
Researcher, ETUI-REHS
Research department