In Chapter 17 we reviewed the changing policy context for employee participation, in particular the on-going tension between management choices for employee participation and recent regulations for consultation rights, such as European regulations.

Your task is to prepare an argument ‘in favour’ of a legal case for employee information and consultation.

You will be required to explain your argument in a class debate with co-students, who will speak ‘against’ your position.

Advising on employee participation

Imagine you are a management consultant. Your services have recently been retained by a large multinational company employing 7,000 people overall (2,800 across four UK sites; 3,200 in two Germany plants; and 1,000 in one Italian location) to provide a report on the implications of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations 2004. The company already has a European Works Council (EWC)

and a union recognition agreement exists in Germany and for two of the four British locations. The remainder are non-union and different NER mechanisms exist.

Management would like you to consider:

a. a brief explanation of what the ICE Regulations mean,

b. whether a double-breasting (union and non-union)

employee participation plan is feasible and any potential drawbacks with a double-breasting voice arrangement for the UK plants, and

c. your considered opinion of any specific implications particular to this company.

Explain and justify the information you include in the report.