European Works Council

Why a European Works Council

The UniCredit European Works Council (UEWC) is a governance body providing for the information and consultation of Employees in Community-scale and Community-scale groups of undertakings as required by the European Works Council Directive (94/45/EC) and lately by the revised 2009/38/EC recast directive.

Founded in 2007 through the combined determination of Local, Group HR and Employee Representatives, the UEWC is acknowledged amongst the finest in Europe.

The 2007 Founding Agreement itself reflects the UEWC heritage and attitude of doing-more: the unique set of rights, duties and responsibilities, not only fully complies with the latest directive, but goes far beyond the current law provisions. A significant fact that outlines a truly pan-European character is that since its inception the UEWC claims 44 elected members representing more than 20 Countries within and, especially, across EU boundaries

The second mandate

An amended version of the 2007 Founding Agreement was signed by both the UEWC Select Committee (under the mandate granted by the full UEWC assembly) and UniCredit on April 19th, 2011, a few months ahead of the first 4-years term expiration date. 

The amended provisions, mainly ruling the UEWC composition and electoral thresholds, now mirror the actual state of the Group in terms of headcount data and geographical presence.

UEWC's essence: tasks and goals

At UniCredit the European Works Council earned its credibility as:

• a primary instrument for Social Dialogue: improving Employees' information and consultation rights and unanimously offering the Employee Representatives a fair, privileged, uniform and simultaneous communication channel with the Group Management
• a partner: dealing with top priorities, securing commitment to Group projects, providing time bound and reliable insights on their development, appreciating diversity and making all the different geographies’ voices equally heard
• a facilitator: supporting the major stakeholders to gain a better understanding of both global and local needs, looking for similarities and common ground where apparently there are just differences

Issues fall within the competence of the EWC when they are transnational: the arrangements for informing and consulting Employees are defined and implemented in such a way as to ensure their effectiveness and to enable a fair and efficient decision making process. Whenever it’s a matter of ordinary or exceptional circumstances affecting Employees' interests to a considerable extent, the Management deals with the UEWC Select Committee, whose 8 delegates are directly appointed by the EWC. This way the Select Committee, once forewarned of a just-approved transnational project, initiative or decision ahead of any kind of public disclosure, cascades the information to the rest of the EWC.  

At least twice a year the Top Management hosts the EWC full assembly during the Ordinary Meeting. The standalone event is a formal occasion to engage in a constructive cooperation over the latest market trends, strategic programs, decisions and labor market developments, partnering with both HR and business functions during different information and consultation moments that display the true value of Social Dialogue.

The ultimate scope of the UEWC is not resulting from a formal engagement only, but more than most by the consciousness that putting the reach of a governance body, mainly acting at a global level, to the service and support of local needs, does make the difference, adds significance and creates shared value for the major Group endeavors.
 

The particular experience of our European Works Council is acknowledged and strengthened by the increasingly frequent cooperation with the European Commission and by the involvement in projects and initiatives organized by our Social Partners and aimed to the sharing of latest initiatives, future trends in Industrial Relations dynamics and further development of Social Dialogue.

The essential work done by the EWC throughout the Group and the strategic effort that both its members and the Management carried on in addressing transnational issues and offering a means of constructive and genuine cooperation, propels the EWC evolution from a shop-floor for information and consultation to a unified, convergent body that shatters constrains and national divides partnering with UniCredit to secure and pursue sustainable solutions that suites the context of nowadays.   

The UEWC is the evidence that a stronger co-experience towards a group culture based on shared social responsibility is not only worthwhile and achievable, but it creates new opportunities for exchange of knowledge and practices through a highly significant Industrial Relations system.

Joint Declarations

Respectively made of 6 UEWC members, 6 HR Representatives and the technical Functions, two Joint Commissions for “Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination” and “Training, Learning and Professional Development” were established on April, 8th 2008.

Resulting from the effort of the two Commissions, the Joint Declaration on “Training, Learning and Professional Development” and “Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination” were signed both by the UEWC Select Committee and the Group Management, respectively on December 2008 and May 2009.

Both these documents define the guidelines and principles that are meant to support and orient our daily activity respecting the different cultural, social and historical backgrounds of all the Countries UniCredit is operating in.
The Joint Declaration on “Training, Learning and Professional Development” acts as the point of reference for defining the strategies, activities and initiatives in all the fields of training, the one on “Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination” aims at enhancing the Corporate culture on such sensitive issues, improving the sense of belonging and enhancing the quality of life at work.

For further information:

Contacts

UniCredit Central Management Permanent Contact with UEWC

centralmanagement@unicredit.eu 

UEWC Select Committee

EWC@unicredit.eu