Co-determination in the workplace: Employers: Involvement of works councils put to the test
Works councils have statutory rights to co-determine the company's affairs. For employers, many things are happening too slowly, and some things are going too far. They are pushing for reform.
The German Employers' Association, BDA, wants to limit and speed up employee involvement in certain cases to enable companies to act more freely in crises and during restructuring. BDA President Rainer Dulger said Germany needs to become "faster, more efficient and less bureaucratic". The goal is to reform the Works Constitution Act, which regulates employee participation in companies.
The BDA proposes setting time limits for employee involvement and decision-making, and allowing employers to make preliminary decisions without employee consent in urgent cases. The proposals may be met with resistance from trade unions, with a recent study finding that only 7% of companies have a works council, representing just one in three private sector employees.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
