§ Mr. MacshaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the voluntary creation of European works councils by leading British firms as a contribution to harmonious employee relations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. OppenheimIt is too early to make any such assessment. We are in favour of greater worker consultation and involvement. This may take many forms, which are best left to the judgment of individual companies. But we are against the prescriptive, inflexible, top-down approach to greater worker consultation and, on that basis, I do not believe that European works councils will make any significant contribution to genuine employee involvement.