Online food delivery company Just Eat Takeaway has formed a European Works Council (EWC) to support its employees working across the continent.

Aimed at companies with large workforces operating in the European Union and European Economic Area, EWCs are designed to keep workers up-to-date with cross-border developments related to their roles and workplace.

On Monday the firm announced it had inked a formal agreement after concluding negotiations with employee representatives.

Representatives from 11 European nations in which Just Eat Takeaway operates took part in the talks. The discussions covered the interests of office-based workers and delivery drivers employed by the company.

EWCs were first introduced by European lawmakers in the early 90s, though the law was replaced with a new version in 2009 and has been amended more recently.

They cover companies with over 1000 employees working in the European Union and Economic Area that also have a minimum of 150 employees in at least two member states.

Though EWCs are not compulsory for employers that meet this double threshold, the formal process of creating an EWC must commence when requested by management or 100 cross-border employees.

Just Eat Takeaway said its newly formed EWC will bring together representatives from its management team and workforce “at least four times annually”. But it added that “urgent transnational matters” could trigger unplanned, emergency meetings.

Each meeting will be an opportunity for Just Eat Takeaway’s management team to inform employee representatives on topics like business strategy, corporate finances, organisational changes like cross-border restructuring and mergers and acquisitions, and transnational employee policies concerning staff’s employment status or their health and safety. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies could also be included in these talks.

In addition to informing Just Eat Takeaway staff of any major cross-border changes happening or planned at the company, its EWC will also serve as an environment in which employees can make their feelings known to management.

Sven Oddens, chief human resource officer at Just Eat Takeaway.com, described the creation of the Just Eat Takeaway EWC as a “significant milestone” in the company’s efforts to “foster a culture of open dialogue and trust”.

He claimed that EWC meetings will result in Just Eat Takeaway employees being “heard” and “considered”, with their voices set to be “integrated” into all cross-border decisions.

Doing so will create “a true partnership with our colleagues and their representatives”, he added.

---