UNIT 4: Workers’ participation in times of crisis
In a situation of crisis, workers’ participation is more important than in normal times. Economic crises, pandemics, natural disasters or wars can have and significant impact on working conditions even if workers are located in a country which is only indirectly hit by their effects.
One such crisis was COVID-19 pandemic, which brought significant changes in everyday working lives of millions of European workers. Various restrictions and new safety procedures were introduced, with consequential changes in organisation of work and working conditions. In situations where workers were involved in preparing and implementing these changes, the results were usually better, and working conditions suffered less.
While importance of workers’ participation grows in crisis, it is at the same time usually more difficult to implement it in practice, due to extraordinary circumstances.
Some of ideas on how to better use workers’ participation mechanisms include:
- Creation of joint committees. Establishment of crisis committees including workers’ representatives and trade unions can facilitate rapid and effective communication during the crisis.
- Involving workers in identifying and implementing health and safety measures. This can be done through existing information and consultation procedures, but also through wider inclusion of workers.
- Consulting workers on working time arrangements. Flexibility of working hours and increased use of telework can be useful during crises. Consulting workers on working time options and implementation of telework can help to find solutions that ensure protection and safety of workers during the crises, but also efficient organisation of work.
- Assessment and learning from experience. It is important to assess how the crisis situation has been handled and try to learn from this experience. Workers’ participation in this evaluation can bring valuable insights and help to develop more effective strategies and measures for future crises.
