Purpose – This paper sets out to describe the experiences of the Hungarian Trade Unions as they adapted to the political and economic changes of the post‐communist period. The paper lucidly explains how and why the trade union movement in Hungary made the transition from being a major player...

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the effectiveness of European Works Councils (EWCs) as a mechanism of employee voice from the perspective of Hungarian workers in UK‐owned multinational companies (MNCs). In addition, it analyses the role of prevailing systems of employee voice in...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to set out and justify a broader, systemic typology that encompasses, and is built around, the notion of voice. This leads to the development of a number of insights that can result in the generation and testing of more accurate hypotheses on the links...

Purpose – The purpose of this editorial is to introduce this special issue on “International trade union networks, European works' councils and international labour regimes”. Design/methodology/approach – The editorial provides an overview and introduces the papers which make up the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the situation of workers' rights in the context of European Works Councils (EWCs) in the metalworking sector. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the preconditions, forms and patterns of trade union transnational coordination...

Examines the development of the current position in Britain, along with initiatives at EC and now EU level, to institutionalize collective structures for employee involvement along common lines. In the context of the latter, the emphasis will be on the European Commission′s proposals for...

Reviews the competing perspectives given to the developments of European works councils (EWCs). In doing this an evaluation is given regarding the current state of the European labour movement and its ability to condition and influence contemporary practices of multinational corporations in an...

This article presents the results of a survey of European Works Council (EWC) delegates in multinational companies in the North East of England. It uses empirical data from a postal questionnaire and interviews with all regional representatives to analyse the key issue of employee...

The internationalisation of enterprises is expected to undermine national systems of employee representation. This paper assesses the extent to which this expectation can be confirmed. Using a survey of Dutch works councils, we compare national, Dutch multinational and foreign multinational...

There is considerable academic interest in the consequences of European integration for human resource (HR) management within multinational companies. In the context of this debate discusses the implications of changes in the organisation of production and markets for the management of HR in the...