UNIT 1: What is workers’ participation?

Workers’ participation includes various forms of information and consultation procedures taking place between employers and workers or their representatives.

The aim of these procedures is to include the workers in decision making on company level about issues that affect their working conditions, as well as their economic and social interests.

Workers’ participation can be beneficial for both workers and the management. If implemented properly, it can lead to increased job satisfaction, better working atmosphere and increased productivity.

Workers can also provide valuable insights and ideas which can help company to make better decisions or more successfully cope with different crises.

Although trade unions are often actively involved in these procedures, they shouldn’t be mixed with collective bargaining.

Collective bargaining usually deals with wages, other material rights of workers and other aspects of employment relations, as well as with relation between employers and trade unions. On the other hand, workers’ participation includes different forms of information, consultation and sometimes co-determination procedures, dealing with development of company’s business operations, employment situation and various other decisions which are likely to affect the organisation of work and economic and social interests of its workers.