EDU

CATIO

N Societas Europaea

Employee involvementImplication des travailleurs

Beteiligung der Arbeitnehmer

Jean-Claude Le Douaron

SE Statute Regulation: EC 2157/2001SE Directive (2001/86/EC)

EDU

CATIO

N

United Steel SAUnited Steel AG

United Steel SAUnited Steel ltd

United Steel AS

United Steel AB

8

EDU

CATIO

N

United Steel SEUnited Steel SE

United Steel SEUnited Steel SE

United Steel SE

United Steel SE

8

EDU

CATIO

N

SE

•Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company Nr 2157/2001•Council Directive supplementing the Statute for a European Company with regard to the involvement of employees 2001/86/CE

EDU

CATIO

N

Involvement – Implication –

Beteiligung - inflytande=Information, consultation & participation=Information, Anhörung & Mitbestimmung=Information, samråd & medverkan

EDU

CATIO

N

Involvement of employees

•Means any mechanism, including information, consultation and participation, through which employees’ representatives may exercise an influence on decisions to be taken within the company;

EDU

CATIO

N

Information Consultation

Rep BodyTime

TempsZeit

ContentContenu

Inhalt

FashionManièreWeise

AvisOpinion

Stellungnahme

Impact?

EDU

CATIO

N

Information•Means the informing of the body of representative of the employees and/or employees’ representatives by the competent organ of the SE on questions which concern the SE itself and any of its subsidiaries or establishments situated in another Member State or which exceed the powers of decision-making organs in a single Member State at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives to undertake an in-depth assessment of the possible impact and, where appropriate, prepare consultations with the competent organ of the SE;

EDU

CATIO

N

Consultation•Means the establishment of dialogue and exchange of views between the body representative of the employees and/or the employees’ representatives and the competent organ of the SE, at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives, on the basis of information provided, to express an opinion on measures envisaged by the competent organ which may be taken into account in the decision-making process within the SE;

EDU

CATIO

N

Participation

Means the influence of the body representative of the employees and/or the employees’ representatives in the affairs of a company by way of:- the right to elect or appoint some of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ; or- the right to recommend and/or oppose the appointment of some or all of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ

EDU

CATIO

N

SA

AS

GMBH

SEHolding

+ SEAB AG

SA

ltd

SE

AG SE

1. Merger

2. Holding

3. Subsidiary

4. Transformation

EDU

CATIO

N

SE Statute

Dualistic

Monistic

EDU

CATIO

N SESE

StatuteDualistic

Monistic

SNB

EDU

CATIO

N

Constitution of a special negotiating body

Central management

Special negotiatin

g body

5%

12%

28 % 55%

EDU

CATIO

N SNB 0 % > 1 rep ≦ 10%

10 % < 2 rep ≦ 20%

+ SEAB AG + 20 %

Experts

EDU

CATIO

N

Negotiations Verhandlungen

SNB

Involvement of employeesImplication des travailleursBeteiligung der Arbeitnehmer

EDU

CATIO

N

SENegotiations on involvement

•Member States should be able to provide that representatives of TU may be members of a SNB•SNB may request experts of its choice (also EIFs), present at negotiation meetings in advisory capacity•SNB shall take decisions by an absolute majority (representing an absolute majority of the employees)•2/3 majority to terminate or not open negotiations•6 months + (6 months)

EDU

CATIO

N

Article 4Content of the agreement

•…shall negotiate in a spirit of cooperation with a view to reaching an agreement•scope•composition of the representative body•procedure for the information and consultation•frequency of meetings•resources allocated to the RB•alternative procedures for information and consultation•participation level

EDU

CATIO

N

Standard rules (Art 7)

•The parties so agree; or•No agreement (6 + 6

EDU

CATIO

N

Standard rulesInformation Consultation

•Representative body (1 – 10%)•Select committee•Information and consultation on

Strategy Investm

ents

RB

Working

methods

EDU

CATIO

N

Standard rulesInformation Consultation

•Regular written reports from management•Agenda of administrative or supervisory organ•Copies of all documents submitted to the general meeting of its shareholders

EDU

CATIO

N

Exceptional circumstances

•…affecting the employees interests to a considerable extent•If the management doesn’t take in to account the opinion of the workers a ⃗further meeting with a view to seeking an agreement. Part 2 c

= negotiations ?

EDU

CATIO

N

Standard rules - Participation

AG SEIf participation rights exist

+ SEAB AG

If > 25% of the employees are covered by participation rights

If < 25% of the employees are covered and the SNB decides so

EDU

CATIO

N

Standard rules - Participation

AS

GMBH

SEHolding

SA

ltd

SESubsidiary

If > 50% of the employees are covered by participation rightsIf < 50% of the employees are covered and the SNB decides so

EDU

CATIO

N

Opting out in case of merger•Member States may provide that the standard rules referred to in Part 3 of the Annex shall not apply in the case referred to in paragraph 2, point (b) of an SE established by means of merger

•But Article 12.3 in the Regulation

•In order for an SE to be registered in a Member State which has made use of the option referred to in Article7(3) of Directive 2001/ /EC, either an agreement pursuant to Article 4 of the Directive must have been concluded on the arrangements for employee involvement, including participation, or none of the participating companies must have been governed by participation rules prior to the registration of the SE.

EDU

CATIO

N

How does it fit why other directives?European Works Councils (Dir. art.13.1):•The directive 94/45/CE doesn’t apply unless there is an agreement not to set up a RB•The provisions on RB apply otherwiseProvisions on participation (Dir. art.13.2-3):•National provisions on participation do not apply to the SE (but would apply to subsidiaries)•Provision on participation foreseen in the agreement or by the standard rules replace apply to the

EDU

CATIO

N

Other provisionsNational representation bodies (Dir. art.13.3):•No impact on national involvment and participation rights in subsidiaries•opening for national provisions to insure that national representation bodies would be maintained in cases of merger implying that companies would disapairNational collective agreements and representation rights

(Reg. art.29.4 et 37..9):•The rights and obligations of the participating companies on terms and conditions of employment arising from national law, practice and individual employment contracts or employment relationships and existing at the date of the registration shall, by reason of such registration be transferred to the SE upon its registration.

EDU

CATIO

N

Other provisionsMisuse of procedures (Dir. art.11):•Member States shall take appropriate measures in conformity with Community law with a view to preventing the misuse of an SE for the purpose of depriving employees of rights to employee involvement or withholding such rights. s

EDU

CATIO

N

ConfidentialitéVis à vis des tiers (Dir. art.8.1):•non communication d’informations communiquées à titre confidentiel•.pour les représentants et les experts, même après expiration du mandatNon communication d’informations (Dir. art.8.2):•conseil d’administration ou de surveillance n’est pas obligé de communiquer des informations lorsque leur nature est telle que, selon des critères objectifs, leur divulgation entraverait gravement le fonctionnement de la SE, de ses filiales ou d’une société participante, ou leur porterait préjudice•cas et conditions selon dispositions nationales

EDU

CATIO

N

Confidentialité« Tendenzschutz » (Dir. art.8.3):•possibilité de dispositions particulières pour les SE à orientation idéologique, d’information et d’expression d’opinions lorsque ces dispositions existent déjà dans le droit national Recours (Dir. art.8.4):•instauration de procédures de recours sur l’exigence de confidentialité et la non-communication d’informations•possibilité d’instaurer un recours sur la sauvegarde de la confidentialité