EWCs in the new Member States : Case study: ABB

ABB is a global company, based in Switzerland and working mainly in the field of energy and automation technology. This case study is based on interviews carried out in the Czech Republic and Poland between March and May 2006 with representatives of the ABB EWC Secretariat in Mannheim, Germany, a senior HR management representative in France (formerly responsible for HR in the Czech Republic) and the EWC members from Poland and the Czech Republic. The EWC at ABB was established in 1996 on the initiative of German colleagues, who also led negotiations with the management in Switzerland.