(16 March 2009) The Special Negotiating Body met to consider proposals of management and the unions on the European Works Council agreement for the Spanish company Agbar. Questions remain over how to define transnationality and how to define the scope of the agreement. The SNB met on 13 March 2009 in Barcelona. It is foreseen to meet on 1-2 April. The EPSU Deputy General Secretary participated as (...)

(7 January 2009) The SNB of Agbar discussed a number of important issues including the scope of the agreement (geographic as well the issue of the controlling undertaking) and the role of the EWC including information and consultation. The recent adoption by the Council and the European Parliament of the definitions as agreed by the European intersectoral partners served as a reference point. The meeting took place 18 December 2008 in Barcelona. The EPSU Deputy General attended the meeting (...)

(29 October 2008) The unions representatives discussed with management of Sociedad Grupo Aguas de Barcelona the process of establishment of a EWC. They agreed to set up the Special Negotiating Body and agreed the procedures and resources to this end. Management presented a draft text of the EWC agreement. The negotiating group includes representatives from UGT-FIA, CCOO-FSAP (Spain), Unison and GMB (UK). Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU, is the expert to the SNB. A next meeting is foreseen (...)

(28 january 2008) Trade union representatives from Spain, UK, Netherlands and Belgium met to discuss the establishment of an EWC for their companies: Spanish company Aguas Barcelona and Dutch company Delta. The unions discussed the legal framework, practices of EWCs, their draft agreements, internal rules of procedure and what the priorities of the work programme should be. Issues considered were the investment strategies, questions of outsourcing and general company policies. Dominque (...)

(27 November 2007) Following the take-over of UK company Bristol Water by Spanish company Agbar, EPSU approached the company to set up a European Works Council. Trade union representatives met to consider the establishment of a European Works Council for Aguas de Barcelona., 22-23 November 2007, Barcelona. They consider a text proposal for an agreement, discussed the lack of a national representative body in Spain and further progress. An exchange with management took place on the (...)