The ugly events erupted during the company's works council meeting, which was convened to consider the fourth "social plan" in three years, outlining how management plans to handle 2,900 redundancies.
We will regularly engage with our employees and other stakeholders throughout this process, and we will consult with the trade union representatives and works councils.
In terms of industrial relations, the new law strengthened (to some extent) the powers of works councils in takeovers, mergers and proposed share exchanges.
This is why the union criticizes union elections and works councils as means of control for managers, preferring workers' assemblies, union sections and direct action.