Why is it important to have an employee representative in the workplace?

The title of the employee representative is different in different agreements and legislation; shop steward, trusted employee representative, elected representative or contact person.

Do you like the fact that you can work flexibly, with good pay and good working conditions? Maybe you want to offer your employer more of your labour input and get fair compensation for it? Are you family-oriented and it is important for you in life to adjust your working hours taking into consideration your family situation? All of these issues can be developed by negotiating with your employer.

The title of the employee representative is different in different agreements and legislation; shop steward, trusted employee representative, elected representative or contact person. Depending on the industry, the representative is elected on a company-by-company or site-by-site basis. The industry collective agreement defines who can stand as a candidate and who has the right to vote. If there is no collective agreement in the industry, a representative can be elected from among the senior salaried employees on the basis of the Employment Contracts Act. The term of office is, in principle, two years.

The employee representative negotiates with the employer at the workplace. Through their role of trust, they receive extensive information about the situation in the workplace and have an influence over the outcome. In this position, they represent senior salaried employees from various unions.

The selection of an employee representative is in the interest of both the employees and the employer. The choice helps develop the workplace when employees know who to turn to if something needs improvement. In addition, the employer knows who to contact if they want to hear the views of staff on a particular matter. The employee representative gathers the staff's ideas and communicates them to the employer. If there are co-determination negotiations coming up, the employee representative is the person who communicates the employees' views in the negotiations.

Read more about negotiation procedures at YTN web page