24 April 2015

The three Directives concerned are on consultation; collective redundancies, transfers of undertakings and a general framework for information and consultation of workers.

The Commission says it ‘seeks the views of the social partners (representatives of employers and employees) on a possible consolidation of those Directives. Definitions of the concepts of ‘information’ and ‘consultation’ could be more particularly looked at in order to better align them, as well as the possibility to include public administration in the personal scope of application of the Directives, by making a clearer and more coherent wording of certain provisions’.

The consolidation is apparently aimed at ‘strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of the existing EU legislation on worker information and consultation at national level’.

Consolidation of legislation normally runs parallel with a weakening of protections. The risk is that the directives would be watered down even further than they already are. The IER will be publishing a response to the consultation in due course.

The consultation is open until 30 June.