Worker Representation and Consultation: The Impact of European Requirements

Reviews current and proposed European Union requirements relating to workforce consultation and considers their implications for present British systems of employee representation. Attention is drawn to several areas – transfers of undertakings, collective redundancies and health and safety at work. A number of potential difficulties associated with trade union representation under proposed European legislation are also highlighted. More generally, identifies a clear tension between the philosophy of worker representation embodied in European directives and the union‐based arrangements widely used in Britain.