The Covid-19 pandemic caused many companies to introduce comprehensive restructuring measures. This restructuring at company level took place with varying intensity and came in different forms, from collective redundancies and salary cuts to working time reduction, short-time work, changes in working conditions and telework, with all its consequences.
The pandemic also put an unprecedented emphasis on occupational health and safety. The infographic shows various forms of restructuring and institutions of workers’ representation. It shows that they are all interlinked: e.g. introduction of telework raises the issue of monitoring of employees activity, protection of privacy and the right to disconnect, all being topics subject to information, consultation and/or collective bargaining.
Also, institutions of workers’ representation should be interlinked for maximum effectiveness: e.g. an EWC works best when it interacts with the local works council(s), trade unions (at local and European level), board-level employee representatives and occupational health and safety representatives. One thing is clear: no matter how abrupt the Covid-19 pandemic and the restructuring on company level was, workers should have a say about such measures and their rights to information, consultation, participation and collective bargaining cannot be subject to quarantine. In fact, they are a necessary resourse to handle restructuring in a sustainable way.