Aims of the project

To study trends in direct employee participation in six EU member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Poland and the UK) and to identify the main sectors, forms, mechanisms and exiting company framework /or more broad regulations, if such exist;
To specify similarities and differences in approaches and practices of the direct workers participation in the various countries;
To study and analyse the relations between forms of direct participation and other forms of employee representation and industrial relations at company level;
To analyse the impact of direct employee participation on the company strategy, effectiveness and sustainability, labour productivity, social issues at company level, labour relations, working conditions, human resources development;
To consider how far direct participation can help in facilitating the development of stronger forms of stakeholder governance and contribute towards more sustainable corporate forms;
To improve the capacity, knowledge and skills of shop-stewards/workers' representatives, managers and employers, as well as that of the workers/employees in relation to the use of systems or practices of direct participation in order to enhance the better integration of direct workers participation in the existing systems of industrial relations and to improve the performance of the mechanisms of industrial relations at company level for the protection of workers’ and trade union rights;
To disseminate the research results and good practices examples among employer and trade union representatives, in order to promote implementation of a model of direct participation that is in line with workers rights and to contribute to upgrading existing social dialogue at company level;
To develop ideas for establishment and improvement of national legal provisions, which concern the implementation of direct participation in regards to the sustainability of the workers/employee rights and the process of industrial relations;
To define ideas for initiatives at EU level (optional framework, policies etc.), to promote good practices of direct workers participation, including a balance between employers’ and workers’ interests.