EFES NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2009

150 Members of the European Parliament
150 Members of the European Parliament and candidates from all political parties answered our Manifesto for the European elections. The last ten years saw a strong development of employee ownership in European companies. Strangely, this happened while a European policy for the promotion and the development of employee ownership was completely lacking. It is time to reconsider things and to relaunch a real European policy. This is a role for the new European Parliament. Detailed information

Employee ownership or not employee ownership in the auto industry
For the first time Washington is looking to employee ownership in a unique form at Chrysler -- employees will have a stake in the company. However, what is it really? Employee ownership or not employee ownership? The United Auto Workers union will own 55% of Chrysler. What future for a union-controlled industry? Which place for employee ownership in the auto industry bailout? Same question for German unions and Opel in Europe. Detailed information

Press review
Much new information about employee ownership in May 2009, with 1.309 articles in this press review  (on which 480 involving stock options and 277 about workers' cooperatives). We made a selection of  62 remarkable articles in 10 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA.
Australia: Budget chaos for employee share schemes. For budgetary reasons, the new government decided suddenly to ax the tax concessions for employee share ownership. However, they had to go back thanks mainly to pressure from trade unions and also advocacy groups and tax experts.
Canada: Success story for the worker shareholder cooperatives in 70 companies in Quebec.
France: Employee share ownership held back by the crisis? Employee share ownership resists to the crisis? What's wrong? Who's right? New employee share plan for CapGemini, for Veolia. Employee shareholders express their votes in general meetings.
Germany: Due to the crisis, workers are changing to workers owners. A bit too fast ?
Ireland: Eircom's serial continuing.
Italy: It is time for participation and employee share ownership. Discussions accelerating, Minister Sacconi pushes forward.
UK: To arms! Employee shareholders expected to vote down bonuses.
USA: Rescuing newspapers companies through employee ownership. Which place for employee ownership in the auto industry bailout? Employee ownership or not employee ownership? What future for a union-controlled industry? Why the United Auto Workers union should not own 55% of Chrysler?

The full press review is available on:
              http://www.efesonline.org/PRESS REVIEW/2009/May.htm 

A political roadmap for employee ownership in Europe

  And the European Commission?...

EFES needs more members. Download EFES membership form

What's new on EFES website?

EFES NEWS distribution: 125.000