Transcript Societas Europeas

EDUCATION
Societas Europaea
Employee involvement
Implication des travailleurs
Beteiligung der Arbeitnehmer
Jean-Claude Le Douaron ASE-ETUCO-EGA
EDUCATION
United Steel AB
United Steel AS
8
United Steel AG
United Steel SA
United Steel ltd
United Steel SA
EDUCATION
United Steel SE
United Steel SE
8
United Steel SE
United Steel SE
United Steel SE
United Steel SE
EDUCATION
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
EDUCATION
Involvement – Implication
–Beteiligung - inflytande
=Information, consultation &
participation
=Information, Anhörung &
Mitbestimmung
=Information, samråd &
medverkan
EDUCATION
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;
EDUCATION
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;
EDUCATION
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;
EDUCATION
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
EDUCATION
1. Merger
SA
AB
+
AG

SE
SE
Holding
2. Holding
3. Subsidiary
4. Transformation
AS
GMBH
SA
ltd
SE
AG
SE
EDUCATION
SE Statute
EDUCATION
SE Statute
SE
SNB
EDUCATION
SNB
Experts
0 % > 1 rep ≦ 10%
10 % < 2 rep ≦ 20%
AB
+
AG

SE
+ 20 %
EDUCATION
Negotiations Verhandlungen
Involvement
of employees
SNB
Implication
des travailleurs
Beteiligung
der
Arbeitnehmer
EDUCATION
SE
Negotiations 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)
EDUCATION
Article 4
Content 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
EDUCATION
Standard rules (Art 7)
• The parties so agree; or
• No agreement (6 + 6
EDUCATION
Standard rules
Information Consultation
• Representative body (1 – 10%)
• Select committee
• Information and consultation on
RB
Strategy
Investme
nts
Working
method
s
EDUCATION
Standard rules
Information Consultation
• Regular written reports from
management
• Agenda of administrative or supervisory
organ
• Copies of all documents submitted to
the general meeting of its shareholders
EDUCATION
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 ?
EDUCATION
Standard rules - Participation
SE
AG
AB
+
AG
 SE
If participation
rights exist
If > 25% of the employees
are covered by participation
rights
If < 25% of the employees
are covered and the SNB
decides so
EDUCATION
Standard rules - Participation
SE
Holding
AS
GMBH
SA
ltd
SE
Subsidiary
If > 50% of the
employees are covered
by participation rights
If < 50% of the
employees are covered
and the SNB decides so
EDUCATION
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.
EDUCATION
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 otherwise
Provisions 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
EDUCATION
Other provisions
National 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 disapair
National 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.
EDUCATION
Other provisions
Misuse 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
EDUCATION
Confidentialité
Vis 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 mandat
Non 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
EDUCATION
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 noncommunication d’informations
• possibilité d’instaurer un recours sur la sauvegarde
de la confidentialité