It gives employees a number of basic rights and proposes sanctions to persuade the bad employer to think again on how openly change is handled. This is the approach favoured by the Commission. It is the spirit behind the European Works Council Directive and behind our new proposal. The European Employment strategy Minimum standards are important. But they represent only the first rung on the ladder of creating excellence.
Productivity growth means creating excellence in our workplaces.
The regulation and delegulation agenda of the last decade must be replaced by a new agenda. This is what the European Employment strategy is about. The agenda for the next decade must be one of partnership for the modernisation of work, to find a new balance of flexibility for enterprises and security for workers. That requires a culture of adaptation and anticipation of change. That demands trust and cooperation on the basis of informed choices.