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Relations between employers, trade unions, and employees in Europe are rapidly changing.

New competitive demands for organizations, the globalization process and economic turbulence,

new technologies and growing diversity in work forces are leading to new organizational

conflicts in which Employee Representatives (ERs) play a central role. ERs are confronted

with new challenges. The European Commission and the Spanish Government value innovative

social dialogue and the role of the ERs, therefore stimulated this project to empower ERs in

Europe.

How should the ERs be empowered to negotiate flexible, fair and innovative labour relations?

This was the central question addressed in the study carried out by the ‘New European Industrial

Relations’ (NEIRE) network, in which researchers from eight European countries

conducted three different field studies (questionnaires, interviews and panels) with ERs and

other field expert. The participant countries represent different industrial relations traditions in

Europe. These countries are: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal,

Spain and the United Kingdom.

Based on these studies, a Best Practices Program (BPP) for empowering ERs is presented in this

book. The BPP involves ten steps:



Flexibility: a Dragon with Multiple Heads

Employability: the Art of Being Capable

Corporate Social Responsibility: Not Only a Fashion Trend

Participation and Dialogue: Engagement in a Context of Change

Trust: As Essential as Breathing

Managing Conflicts: Blending Competition and Cooperation

Critical Competencies for an Innovative Union

Attraction and Commitment: Understanding ERs Individual Perceptions and Differences

Role Conflict and Stress: Juggling Hats

Empowering Employee Representatives: “We can Make the Difference Here!”.