EDUCATION Societas Europaea Employee involvement Implication des travailleurs Beteiligung der Arbeitnehmer Jean-Claude Le Douaron SE Statute Regulation: EC 2157/2001 SE Directive (2001/86/EC)

EDUCATION United Steel SA United Steel AG United Steel SA United Steel ltd United Steel AS United Steel AB 8

EDUCATION United Steel SE 8

EDUCATION SE Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Company Nr 2157/2001 Council Directive supplementing the Statute for a European Company with regard to the involvement of employees 2001/86/CE

EDUCATION Involvement – Implication –Beteiligung - inflytande = Information, consultation & participation = Information, Anhörung & Mitbestimmung = Information, samråd & medverkan

EDUCATION Involvement of employees Means any mechanism, including information, consultation and participation, through which employees’ representatives may exercise an influence on decisions to be taken within the company;

EDUCATION Information Consultation Rep Body Time Temps Zeit Content Contenu Inhalt Fashion Manière Weise Avis Opinion Stellungnahme Impact?

EDUCATION Information Means the informing of the body of representative of the employees and/or employees’ representatives by the competent organ of the SE on questions which concern the SE itself and any of its subsidiaries or establishments situated in another Member State or which exceed the powers of decision-making organs in a single Member State at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives to undertake an in-depth assessment of the possible impact and, where appropriate, prepare consultations with the competent organ of the SE;

EDUCATION Consultation Means the establishment of dialogue and exchange of views between the body representative of the employees and/or the employees’ representatives and the competent organ of the SE, at a time, in a manner and with a content which allows the employees’ representatives, on the basis of information provided, to express an opinion on measures envisaged by the competent organ which may be taken into account in the decision-making process within the SE;

EDUCATION Participation Means the influence of the body representative of the employees and/or the employees’ representatives in the affairs of a company by way of: - the right to elect or appoint some of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ; or - the right to recommend and/or oppose the appointment of some or all of the members of the company’s supervisory or administrative organ

EDUCATION SA AS GMBH SE Holding +  SE AB AG SA ltd SE AG SE 1. Merger 2. Holding 3. Subsidiary 4. Transformation

EDUCATION SE Statute Dualistic Monistic

EDUCATION SE SE Statute Dualistic Monistic SNB

EDUCATION Constitution of a special negotiating body Central management Special negotiating body  5%  12%  28 %  55%

EDUCATION SNB 0 % > 1 rep ≦ 10% 10 % < 2 rep ≦ 20% +  SE AB AG + 20 % Experts

EDUCATION Negotiations Verhandlungen SNB Involvement of employees Implication des travailleurs Beteiligung der Arbeitnehmer

EDUCATION SE Negotiations on involvement Member States should be able to provide that representatives of TU may be members of a SNB SNB may request experts of its choice (also EIFs), present at negotiation meetings in advisory capacity SNB shall take decisions by an absolute majority (representing an absolute majority of the employees) 2/3 majority to terminate or not open negotiations 6 months + (6 months)

EDUCATION Article 4 Content of the agreement …shall negotiate in a spirit of cooperation with a view to reaching an agreement scope composition of the representative body procedure for the information and consultation frequency of meetings resources allocated to the RB alternative procedures for information and consultation participation level

EDUCATION Standard rules (Art 7) The parties so agree; or No agreement (6 + 6

EDUCATION Standard rules Information Consultation Representative body (1 – 10%) Select committee Information and consultation on Strategy Investme nts RB Working methods

EDUCATION Standard rules Information Consultation Regular written reports from management Agenda of administrative or supervisory organ Copies of all documents submitted to the general meeting of its shareholders

EDUCATION Exceptional circumstances …affecting the employees interests to a considerable extent If the management doesn’t take in to account the opinion of the workers ⃗ a further meeting with a view to seeking an agreement. Part 2 c = negotiations ?

EDUCATION Standard rules - Participation AG SE If participation rights exist +  SE AB AG If > 25% of the employees are covered by participation rights If < 25% of the employees are covered and the SNB decides so

EDUCATION Standard rules - Participation AS GMBH SE Holding SA ltd SE Subsidiary If > 50% of the employees are covered by participation rights If < 50% of the employees are covered and the SNB decides so

EDUCATION Opting out in case of merger Member States may provide that the standard rules referred to in Part 3 of the Annex shall not apply in the case referred to in paragraph 2, point (b) of an SE established by means of merger But Article 12.3 in the Regulation In order for an SE to be registered in a Member State which has made use of the option referred to in Article7(3) of Directive 2001/ /EC, either an agreement pursuant to Article 4 of the Directive must have been concluded on the arrangements for employee involvement, including participation, or none of the participating companies must have been governed by participation rules prior to the registration of the SE.

EDUCATION How does it fit why other directives? European Works Councils (Dir. art.13.1): The directive 94/45/CE doesn’t apply unless there is an agreement not to set up a RB The provisions on RB apply otherwise Provisions on participation (Dir. art ): National provisions on participation do not apply to the SE (but would apply to subsidiaries) Provision on participation foreseen in the agreement or by the standard rules replace apply to the

EDUCATION Other provisions National representation bodies (Dir. art.13.3): No impact on national involvment and participation rights in subsidiaries opening for national provisions to insure that national representation bodies would be maintained in cases of merger implying that companies would disapair National collective agreements and representation rights (Reg. art.29.4 et 37..9): The rights and obligations of the participating companies on terms and conditions of employment arising from national law, practice and individual employment contracts or employment relationships and existing at the date of the registration shall, by reason of such registration be transferred to the SE upon its registration.

EDUCATION Other provisions Misuse of procedures (Dir. art.11): Member States shall take appropriate measures in conformity with Community law with a view to preventing the misuse of an SE for the purpose of depriving employees of rights to employee involvement or withholding such rights. s

EDUCATION Confidentialité Vis à vis des tiers (Dir. art.8.1): non communication d’informations communiquées à titre confidentiel.pour les représentants et les experts, même après expiration du mandat Non communication d’informations (Dir. art.8.2): conseil d’administration ou de surveillance n’est pas obligé de communiquer des informations lorsque leur nature est telle que, selon des critères objectifs, leur divulgation entraverait gravement le fonctionnement de la SE, de ses filiales ou d’une société participante, ou leur porterait préjudice cas et conditions selon dispositions nationales

EDUCATION Confidentialité « Tendenzschutz » (Dir. art.8.3): possibilité de dispositions particulières pour les SE à orientation idéologique, d’information et d’expression d’opinions lorsque ces dispositions existent déjà dans le droit national Recours (Dir. art.8.4): instauration de procédures de recours sur l’exigence de confidentialité et la non-communication d’informations possibilité d’instaurer un recours sur la sauvegarde de la confidentialité