Conflicting Contexts : The Implementation of European Works Councils in Sweden

Abstract: The European directive on the establishment of European Works Councils (EWCs) provides an example of how the implementation of EU-level regulation is shaped by national legislation and practice, and previous research on EWC implementation has stressed the role of national factors for the organisation and work of these information and consultation forums.This thesis addresses the EWCs from a Swedish perspective and aims to analyse the role of the national system of employee participation for the implementation of EWCs in the national context. Through an examination of the views and reasoning of national groups and organisations involved in the implementation, during the legislative process that preceded the national EWC Act as well as in the establishment and work of councils, the study illustrates how national factors shaped the handling of the EWC issue in Sweden.The findings of the thesis, which rest on an analysis of official documents and interviews, show how the national system of employee participation influenced the views and reasoning of national groups and organisations regarding how to handle the EWC issue. However, the results of the analysis also indicate that alternative influences, such as company-specific factors and the provisions of the EWC directive, were important during the implementation of EWCs in the Swedish context.