works council
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works council
The representative body elected by the employees of a company to represent their interests to the employer. The works council has legally defined co-determination rights.
Der Betriebsrat hat den neuen Sozialplan mit der Geschäftsführung ausgehandelt.
The works council negotiated the new social plan with management.
The word is made up of 'Betrieb' (company/business) and 'Rat' (council/advisory group). So the works council is literally the 'Rat des Betriebs' (council of the company).
In Deutschland hat jeder Betrieb ab fünf Mitarbeitern das Recht, einen Betriebsrat zu wählen.
In Germany, every company with five or more employees has the right to elect a works council.
The word can refer both to the entire body and to an individual member. The context makes clear what is meant: 'Der Betriebsrat entscheidet' (the works council decides) refers to the body, while 'ein Betriebsrat' usually means a person.
Der Betriebsrat hat der neuen Regelung zugestimmt.
The works council approved the new regulation.
The works council is not an informal group, but a legally established institution in German labor law. It has specific rights and duties in order to represent employees' interests.
Bei Kündigungen muss der Arbeitgeber den Betriebsrat anhören.
In cases of dismissal, the employer must consult the works council.
Common verbs used in connection with the body are 'einen Betriebsrat wählen' (to elect a works council) or 'gründen' (to found/establish). As an employee, you can 'sich an den Betriebsrat wenden' (turn to the works council).
Wenn du Probleme mit deinem Vorgesetzten hast, kannst du dich an den Betriebsrat wenden.
If you have problems with your supervisor, you can turn to the works council.
trade union
'die Gewerkschaft' and 'der Betriebsrat' both represent the interests of employees. The difference lies in where and how this representation happens. A 'Gewerkschaft' is a larger organization, often for an entire industry, and negotiates, for example, about wages and working conditions. A 'Betriebsrat' is elected in a specific company and deals with issues within that workplace. Learners may confuse the words because both are on the employees' side. Remember: 'die Gewerkschaft' works beyond an individual workplace, while 'der Betriebsrat' works directly within the company.
Bei Problemen mit dem Dienstplan spricht meine Kollegin zuerst mit dem Betriebsrat.
When there are problems with the work schedule, my colleague talks to the works council first.
Die Gewerkschaft fordert mehr Lohn für die Beschäftigten im Einzelhandel.
The trade union is demanding higher wages for retail employees.