EWCs in the new Member States : Case study: Unilever

Unilever was formally created in 1930 with the merger of British soapmakers ‘Lever Brothers’ and Dutch margarine producers ‘Margarine Unie’. Today, this Anglo-Dutch company owns many of the world’s best-known consumer brands in food, beverages, cleaning and personal care products. This case study is based on interviews carried out in the first half of 2006 in Germany, Slovakia (also covering the Czech Republic) and Poland with Unilever EWC members and management representatives (responsible for HR). In addition, an interview with a representative of the Unilever EWC Secretariat was carried out. The Unilever EWC was established in 1996 and is based on Dutch law.