The introduction of European Works Councils in Spain

Abstract

Since September 1994, when the Directive 94/45/EC on the creation of European Works Councils came into force, the trajectory followed by their introduction in Spain has been similar to the one in the European Union. However, in spite of such parallel evolution, the coverage rate in the multinational companies with headquarters in Spain or those adhering to Spanish legislation on this subject, has always been lower than the European average. The priority of the Spanish multinational companies towards Latin American markets —with the resulting exemption of the obligation to create a committee with the above characteristics— but also
the existence among Spanish employers of a cultural conception that is particularly reluctant to share control of the company’s power with its workers, the persistent «local» vision of collective bargaining and the labour relationship by the Spanish unions, are some of the main causes that surface when it comes to explaining the small degree of development experienced by European Works Councils in Spain in respect of what is happening in the rest of Europe.