‘One more thing …’

I know: summer is upon us, and in most European countries it’s already too hot to think about anything other than the holidays. But before we go, there’s one more thing I’d like you to think about before you (and I) shut down the computer.

It’s about one of the most important aspects of working with (and within) European Works Councils: how to move from a local concern to a European discussion.

Employee representatives often bring to the table what they know best: the reality of their own site, country or function. Working day in, day out in a factory, service centre or office does not automatically give you a European perspective. You see what happens close to you. You hear the concerns of your direct colleagues, and you know the local context.

If the EWC discussion doesn’t progress beyond that local level, it can trigger some impatience on the management side.

That’s understandable, as EWCs are not meant to deal with separate local complaints. Their real value lies in identifying local signals that form part of a wider European pattern. That is why preparation, country updates and exchanges between members are so important. They help identify common themes and developments across Europe. Doing this properly requires an open mind on both sides of the table.

Organisations should be careful not to dismiss too quickly what local representatives bring to the table. They may not have all the strategic information or all the relevant data, but they do have something many senior leaders lack: daily contact with the reality on the ground.

Local representatives can spot developments long before they appear in a KPI. They hear concerns long before they show up in a survey. They notice shifts in motivation, trust and confidence long before they become measurable.

Not every local concern is a European issue. But many European issues start as local concerns.

The best leaders I have worked with understand this distinction. They don’t see meetings with employee representatives merely as a consultation requirement. They see them as an early warning system and a valuable source of insight.

For me, that is where the real value of an EWC lies. Not in ignoring local concerns. And not in treating every local issue as a European one. But in taking local signals seriously enough to ask whether they point to something bigger.