This paper addresses the existing provisions in the European Social Charter (ESC) relating to employee involvement in private enterprises, namely the right to information and consultation and the right to workers’ participation. After providing an overview of the Charter’s historical development, its relationship with the European Union law and the infl uence on the domestic law of the Member States of the Council of Europe are discussed. There then follows a brief description of the enforcement mechanisms for social rights under the ESC: the reporting system and the collective complaint. The subsequent part illustrates the development of the right to information and consultation in the different versions of the Charter, also considering collective redundancy procedures. This paper concludes by examining the rights to workers? participation included in the Social Charter.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations