EWCs in the new Member States : Case study: Volkswagen

The Volkswagen group, with headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, with a share in global passenger car production in 2005 of 9% (5.2 million passenger car vehicles), making the company the world’s fourth largest car producer. This case study is based on interviews carried out in the Czech Republic and Slovakia between March and June 2006 with national members of the Volkswagen EWC in both countries, as well as with management representatives. Founded in 1990, the European Volkswagen Group Works Council was established even before the EU Directive on European Works Councils came into force.