The speedy decrease of profitability, along with the growing financial requirements due to competition and production expansion in emerging countries, has induced many carmakers to reinforce outsourcing. As a consequence, in the last two decades there has been an exponential increase in the quota of outsourced activities by the automobile manufacturers in favour of the supply companies. The growing complexity of governance and control of the new organisational relationships in the automotive industry results in an increased instability, unpredictability, and insecurity of power relationships at the level of the value chain or network, the organisation, the workplace and for the individual.
At the level of industrial relations information and consultation rights should contribute to counterbalance the impact these processes on the employment and working conditions of employees. In theory, information and consultation rights should be guaranteed at all levels of the value chain. Thus, the coordination and the correct implementation of information and coordination procedures in worker representation instances at different levels represent core priorities for trade unions. They have to ensure the correct representation of workers' interests in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as in multinational companies. In particular, it is important to ensure proactive information procedures and meaningful consultation processes at the level of company-level employee representatives and at the level of EWCs. But it is equally important to guarantee that the outcomes of European-level information and consultation processes are transmitted to the national and local levels. Against the background of the decomposition of the automotive sector and the fragmentation of structures of interest representation the challenge also consists in fostering cooperation and coordination between the various bodies of interest representation along the value chain. In this context territorial approaches of coordination as well as transnational approaches, such as Transnational Company Agreements (TCAs) including subcontractors and supply companies, are of particular interest.
The project is, thus, focusing on the critical steps in regard to the coordination among different actors having a role in the representation of workers at different levels in the automotive value chain as well as on the identification of solutions to overcome obstacles in regard to coordination efforts. The project will analyse innovative experiences to overcome the fragmentation of interest representation at different levels which contribute to guaranteeing a more effective application of information and consultation rights as laid down in the various EC directives.
Finally, the project intends to develop recommendations aimed at strengthening the position of employee representatives and enabling them to become proactive actors in a framework of improved industrial relations in companies belonging to the automotive value chain.
The project that will be carried out in Emilia-Romagna, Hesse, Aquitaine, Valencia and Wielkopolska is funded by the European Commission and coordinated by IRES Emilia-Romagna.

Team IRES Emilia-Romagna
Volker Telljohann (responsabile) volker_telljohann@er.cgil.it 
Carlo Fontani carlo_fontani@er.cgil.it
Eloisa Betti eloisabetti@gmail.com

Seminars and conferences: