Philips minimizes the influence of works councils and trade unions at all levels of participation in Europe. Representatives hardly ever have an opportunity to have a dialogue at a strategic level. Part of Philips European Works Council (EWC) is not elected by employees, but appointed by Philips management. Philips influences elections and has fired trade union representatives. Representatives of trade unions and work councils throughout Philips in Europe feel that the company does not take their input seriously, say EMF and FNV Bondgenoten.
Philips minimizes the influence of works councils and trade unions at all levels of participation in Europe. Representatives hardly ever have an opportunity to have a dialogue at a strategic level. Part of Philips European Works Council (EWC) is not elected by employees, but appointed by Philips management. Philips influences elections and has fired trade union representatives.
After meetings with representatives of trade unions and work councils throughout Philips in Europe, the European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) concludes that they feel that the company does not take their input seriously. This write EMF and FNV Bondgenoten in a a press release. Read full press release. This conclusion is strengthened by a pilot study carried out by SOMO (Dutch centre for research of multinational corporations), which was presented at a Decent Work Conference on Friday June 11th in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Ron van Baden, FNV officer and EMF coordinator for Philips, says: “Philips sets the agenda, decides the scope of discussion and silences critical voices. The fact that European negotiations are handled by the Dutch country manager demonstrates how seriously European dialogue is taken. Employee representatives hardly ever get to a dialogue on a strategic level. At least five out of 23 members of the EWC are not elected but simply appointed by management”.
EMF has several documented cases where Philips has tried to limit trade union influence. Trade union representatives in Hungary and Sweden have been fired and elections have been induced and influenced by management. It has interfered with the outcome of internal EWC elections. A lockout case in France has also been registered, in order to force employees to accept a severance offer; workers simply were locked out.
