On 30 September and 1 October, ETUI, ETF and UNI Europa joined forces in a webinar on the topic of restructurings and the role of European Works Councils (EWCs).
COVID-19 caused havoc in the world of transport, with passenger transport especially hard hit. Civil aviation and the European river cruise sectors were halted almost overnight, while public transport workers continued to provide services under dire circumstances.
With the pandemic still ongoing, massive restructurings are, for example, being announced in major airlines. One of the most striking examples is International Airlines Group (IAG) – the mother company of amongst others British Airways, Vueling, Iberia, Aer Lingus. It announced 13000 layoffs in April to the press but failed to inform the EWC. At the same time, some other companies already filed for bankruptcy, such as Swissport Belgium. In this turmoil, knowledge is power. Workers’ representatives in EWCs need to fully understand their rights to information and consultation.
The 2-day webinar came at the right time and was the perfect refresher. All materials from the webinar are available here to all who did not have the opportunity to tune in.