We have a team of enthusiastic and dedicated EWC-trainers/advisers at our disposal. With the help of our EWC-Service, you’ll be able to get off to a flying start: we have been working in this area since the early stages of EWC’s (1994) and are more than happy to share our many years of practical experience with you. The EWC-Service relies on an extensive international network in the field of industrial relations and cooperates with a number of European trade unions. To ensure continuity, we allocate one permanent trainer/adviser to each EWC. If your permanent contact should be unavailable, then we have a backup team ready to step in.
The EWC-team publish regularly articles in relevant magazines on Employee representation and in 2011 they published their handbook: The practical guide for European Works Councils
Our EWC team members Geertrude van Amerongen and John Snel are listed below.
Geertrude van Amerongen
geertrude.van.amerongen@sbiformaat.nl
+31 (0)6 525 99 001
Over 25 years I worked in the co-determination field. My knowledge and experience as an economist, works council member, manager, lecturer, supervisory board member, consultant and, of course, an employee gives me a down-to-earth perspective on organisational change. Knowledgeable, approachable, reliable and practical is the feedback that our clients say about me.
My anticipation and experience is that a European Works Council will face challenges in three areas;
- The European Works Council has to deal with complex issues;
- Transnational decision-making is not always straightforward and takes place in various ways;
- The EWC also faces the challenge of meaningful discussions, reaching consensus and exerting influence within a very diverse group.
Complex issues like financial matters, investments, reorganisations, mergers and terms of employment, transnational decision-making – I am happy to break these down so that the EWC can take them forward. ‘Making difficult matters easy’ is what I enjoy doing. I provide precisely the extra knowledge and experience needed to offer a sound opinion on changes within the organisation.
I am looking forward to putting my knowledge and experience to good use in supporting EWCs.
- Advice, guidance and training on reorganisation, mergers and acquisitions;
- Advice and training in the field of European employee participation (EOR);
- Advice on terms of employment, pension, work-related expenses and harmonisation schemes;
- Financial advice and research regarding investments, reorganisations and redundancy plans;
- Support with governance issues for works councils, management boards or supervisory boards;
- Member of the appeals committee for job evaluation processes and redundancy plans during reorganisations;
- Training and coaching for leadership development programmes.
John Snel
john.snel@sbiformaat.nl
+31 (0)6 525 99 070
As a trainer and consultant for (European) works councils, I aim to contribute to the development of organisations where employees enjoy going to work and can help shape their own working conditions. Employee participation is a valuable asset; I see it as an opportunity for employees to ‘take a share’ of the control over policy and decision-making processes within the organisation. I aim to empower (European) works council members in their say and influence over their work and in their personal development.
I work with and am familiar with many companies in the private sector, particularly larger and international enterprises in industry and business services. I enjoy delving into complex organisational issues and breaking them down for works councils into manageable and actionable matters. I also enjoy working on employee participation structures within larger corporate groups. I am happy to assist works councils in branches of foreign groups with their specific challenges. In addition to training and advising works councils, I regularly provide training and advice to (non-Dutch) directors and (HR) management.
Ever since my studies in psychology and sociology, I have been involved in industrial relations and employee participation, particularly from the employees’ perspective. As a lecturer and research assistant at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Utrecht University, my work included policy-oriented research for the trade union movement and research into employee participation within the public sector and in education. Since 2001, I have been a trainer and consultant for works councils, initially at the STAB consultancy and, from 2004, at SBI Formaat.
- Internationalisation; employee participation in international groups;
- Structures of employee participation in larger groups;
- Complex organisational issues;
- Dealing effectively with requests for advice and consent;
- Effective meetings and decision-making;
- Communication and team development.
