December 2011 - Employee
share ownership and the EU corporate governance
framework
In 2011, the European Commission published
a Green Paper and they organized a public consultation
about the EU Corporate Governance Framework. Question
23 was about employee ownership: "Are there
measures to be taken, and is so, which ones, to
promote at EU level employee share ownership?"
Many companies, enterprises organizations, unions,
organizations of the civil society and public
authorities answered the consultation. About employee
share ownership, the Commission received 252
answers from 34 countries. It is remarkable that
answers are globally positive. In fact, the global
quote is positive at 65%. However, it is sad that
the question was ambiguous: Many people answered
positively, supporting the idea that employee
ownership should be promoted by the EU, while
others gave negative answers fearing that the
EU could restrict their freedom in the field (for
example, most Swedish companies gave the same
hard negative answer). More
information
December 2011 - Curriculum
Library on Employee Ownership (CLEO)
CLEO, is the largest online academic repository
of teaching and background materials on employee
ownership. CLEO offers over 500 materials (e.g.,
books, articles, cases, teaching modules, etc.)
to help with research and teaching on a broad
range of topics on employee ownership; more recent
newly developed works and educational cases, syllabi,
and curriculum; teaching modules and reading collections
with suggested relevant materials. More information
November 2011 - The
EU Corporate Governance Framework
The European Commission organized a public
consultation about "The EU Corporate Governance
Framework". All contributions are now public,
including ours. Question 23 is about employee
ownership: "Are there measures to be taken,
and is so, which ones, to promote at EU level
employee share ownership?" Of course we answered
positively, arguing that "Employees' interest
in the long-term sustainability of their company
is going to be increasingly a crucial element
of trust and corporate governance. Not only can
employee owners contribute greatly to increase
the proportion of long-term shareholders, but
we will also see that employee ownership itself
will be more and more perceived as a trust indicator."
We are delighted to see that so many organizations
too gave encouraging answers, including international
unions like ETUC or UNI. All contributions are
available here,
while the EFES' one can be downloaded here
November 2011 - Euroshareholders
Euroshareholders is the organization of European
shareholders associations. It was founded in 1992
while the European Federation of Employee Share
Ownership was founded in 1998. Both organizations
developed a good cooperation for many years, considering
a number of common objectives regarding corporate
governance in Europe, shareholders' rights and
equal treatment of all shareholders, harmonization
at the EU level on shareholders issues, financial
education and scientific research on capital market
and finance. Both organizations recently decided
to reinforce their links. The recent general meeting
of Euroshareholders in The Hague welcomed the
EFES as a new associate member, while Euroshareholders
will reciprocally join the EFES. More information
October 2011 - New call from the European institutions
The
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
held "the week of employee financial participation"
some days ago in Brussels. The EESC is the body
that gives representatives of Europe's social
partners and civil society a formal platform to
express their points of views on EU issues. A
new call was launched for developing employee
ownership in European companies.
Each Member State of the EU should made available
"an optional simple, uniform incentive model,
with the same tax arrangements and incentives
throughout the EU". This is mainly targetting
an harmonized and easiest way for multinational
employee share plans.
The "ESOP model" for business transmission
to employees in SMEs should be implemented in
the European Union, as it is successfully in the
USA since 1974. This is the only relevant way
to develop employee ownership in SMEs.
A dedicated budget heading should be voted by
the European Parliament, allowing the setting
up and financing of a European Center for Employee
Ownership in each European country, for delivering
information, formation and advices to employees,
enterprises and the public at large.
Septiembre 2011 - Two particular organizations
in the UK
Two
particular organizations has had a major influence
on the popularity of employee ownership in the
UK. The first was founded in 1979, with the help
of the John Lewis Partnership, Scott Bader and
other companies, and originally established as
a consultancy, known as Job Ownership Ltd. It
was the brainchild of Robert Oakeshott, who died
in June this year. Robert was a founder member
of the European Federation of Employee Share
Ownership in 1998. It changed later its name to
the Employee Ownership Association,
acting as "the voice of co-owned business
in the UK". The second organization known
as ifs ProShare was founded
(originally as ProShare) in 1992 by HM
Treasury, the London Stock Exchange and a consortium
of major companies. It provides "a voice
for the Employee Share Ownership (ESO)
industry in the UK".
Septiembre
2011 - Talvivaara
The
employees of Talvivaara Mining Company resolved
on 18 June 2011 to establish a Group personnel
fund to manage the earnings bonuses paid by Talvivaara.
The fund will invest a substantial proportion
of its assets in Talvivaara shares. The fund is
managed by personnel representatives elected by
the employees. Personnel funds are a typical way
in Finland for employee share ownership in large
companies.
Agosto 2011 - European
Top Executives massively buying own company shares
With
the fire sale of shares on the stock exchange,
a strong phenomenon has developed in recent weeks:
European Top Executives are massively buying their
own company shares.
This
can be seen in the hundreds of releases of "insider
dealing". In Italy roundup of Eni, Enel,
Mediobanca, IntesaSanpaolo, Indesit and dozens
of others. Top Executives buying millions of shares.
The same in Germany with Metro, BASF… In Sweden
with Husqvarna… In France Air Liquide, Alcatel-Lucent
... Same at Barclays, Shell... All major companies
are affected.
In
two words: The short-termists sinking into panic,
long-term investors and Top Executives at first
take the opportunity to buy cheap.
What
about the ordinary employee? What's good for Executives
should be good for employees too.
Unfortunately,
any legislation promoting a simple and convenient
employee ownership model is still lacking in too
many European countries.
What
are the worst performers of the European class
in this area? Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain.
Yes, we find here the same list of countries that
are stigmatized in the crisis of Euro interest
rates. These countries need structural changes,
including the development of employee share ownership.
Also in the back of the classroom: Belgium, The
Netherlands and most Central and Eastern European
countries.
The
consequence of this lack of legislation: In all
these countries, only 10 to 15% of employees are
shareholders of large companies, compared to 30%
on average in Europe. For good students, it rises
to 25, 30 or 50%. These are Norway, Switzerland,
Finland, Great Britain, Sweden, France. It is
remarkable that over the last10 years, employee
share ownership has become an ingredient of the
"Nordic model".
Recently,
the European social partners have launched an
appeal to governments. The European Economic and
Social Committee took this initiative. The Committee
brings together European business representatives,
trade unions and civil society. The opinion is
clear and unambiguous.
Aimed
at large enterprises, each European country should
introduce into its legislation a "simplified
model" of employee share ownership, making
its development stronger and easier.
Aimed
at small and medium sized enterprises, each European
country should encourage the transfer of business
to employees, following the example of what the
U.S. has established since 1974 with the "ESOP
model", allowing employees to buy their business
without paying a cent, with a long-term credit.
The
strength and consistency of employee share ownership
will be more and more one of the factors and one
of the characteristic elements of good governance
in European companies, of better economic performance
and regained trust.
The
opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee
is available on page http://www.efesonline.org/EESC/EN.htm
July
2011 - New research on the impact of employee
ownership
A new research in the USA on the impact of
employee ownership is the largest study ever on
the connections among various forms of shared
capitalism, organizational culture, and company
performance. On the other hand, an important collection of essays edited by
the economists Richard Freeman, Joseph Blasi and
Douglas Kruse and published last year by the National
Bureau of Economic Research documents several
crucial points: About half of all private-sector
workers already have some kind of sharing arrangement
with their employers; sharing tends to make employees
happier, more productive and better off, as long
as they do not take on too much risk by over-investing
in the company they work for, and companies often
benefit as well, showing improved performance
along several different dimensions. In addition,
a large sample of publicly traded companies in
the United States from 1999 to 2008, offers evidence
that companies with employee ownership showed
greater employment stability in face of economic
downturn. Read
more
Abril
2011 - Employee ownership
was continuously progressing across Europe since
the financial crisis
The
number of employee owners was nearly 10 million
in 2010 in large European companies (out of 32.6
million employees). The number of companies that
have employee ownership was increasing (91.7%),
as well as those having share plans for all employees
(53.7%) and those with stock option plans (64.1%).
However, significant differences can be seen between
countries: A significant increase in the number
of employee owners in Spain, Poland, France and
the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
Finland), contrasting with a significant decrease
in Belgium, Ireland and The Netherlands.

Overall, the capitalization held by employee owners
rose back to 192 billion Euro in 2010. In % held,
there was a slight decline for the first time
for many years (from 2.82% to 2.71%). However,
the share held by Top Executives has increased,
while it is the "common" employees who
have seen their share shrink.
All details are to be published in May in the
next "Economic Survey of Employee Ownership
in European Countries in 2010". Download

Marzo
2011 - A European Single
Market for employee ownership
European Commissioner Michel Barnier organised
a vast consultation about the new "Single
Market Act". The single market is all about
bringing down barriers and simplifying existing
rules across Europe. It would also include a European
single market for employee ownership. Read
more
Marzo
2011 - Employee ownership improves
company performance
There is a lot of social science evidence today
that shows the combination of meaningful broad-based
employee ownership with a team-oriented corporate
culture improves company performance. Many research
works have been done in the U.S. for long. A first
econometric work is now also available about French
companies: According to the Center for Strategic
Analysis, the social performance of a company
having employee share ownership is 52% higher
than that of companies which have neither employee
share ownership nor employee savings plan. Read
more
Febrero
2011 - Presidency of the European Union
Council – Conference on employee ownership
The conference expressed its support to the European
Economic and Social Committee, asking for:
● Regarding large companies: Each
European country should make available "an
optional simple, uniform incentive model, with
the same tax-arrangements and incentives throughout
the EU".
● Regarding SMEs: Each European country
should strongly encourage business transmission
to employees as the USA did since 1974 – this
is the concept of a "European ESOP model"
for SMEs.
The report of the conference is now available.
Read
more
Febrero
2011 - Center for Strategic Analysis of
the French Republic
According to the Center for Strategic Analysis
of the French Republic, the social performance
of a company having employee share ownership is
52% higher than that of companies which have neither
employee share ownership nor employee savings
plan. The effectiveness of employee share ownership
has to be reinforced by ensuring the representation
of employee shareholders. Read more
Enero
2011 - Controversy about employee ownership in
the UK
John Lewis Partnership was usually described as
the best reference regarding employee ownership
in the UK. How does it work really? Across government
a siren call is sounding, promoting the John Lewis
model of employee ownership as a way of modernising
public services. "But John Lewis is not what
it purports to be", an expert said. "It’s
not an employee run company. The interesting thing
when one looks carefully at the documents that
lay behind that structure it is very difficult
to discern who it is that has responsibility for
the appointment and removal of directors of the
trustee company. In a sense that is almost a self-serving
oligarchy in that it’s the board of directors
on the company that appear on the panel that appoint
and remove the directors and the shareholders
of the trust." More
Enero
2011 - New study shows broad-based Stock Option
Plans improve performance
One of the most comprehensive and convincing studies
to date on the effect of broad-based option plans
on company performance was recently released.
Looking at non-executive options and the subsequent
firm operating performance as measured by the
firm's industry adjusted ROA, the authors found
that "both the existence of a broad based
option plan and the implied incentives of an option
plan exert a positive effect on firm performance..."
By contrast, companies with grants focused on
executives did worse. More
Welcome amendments to the Prospectus
Directive for employee share plans will be in
force by July 2011
We have previously reported on proposed amendments
to the Prospectus Directive - in particular to
the exemption from the requirement to publish
a prospectus in relation to an offering made under
an employee share scheme. The amending Directive
has now been published in the Official Journal
of the European Union and will take effect from
31 December 2010. It must be implemented by Member
States within 18 months. Pinsent
Masons outlines the main changes as they relate
to employee share plans
December
2010 -
Twelve Bogus Reasons Not to Do an ESOP (and
Seven Good Ones)
Over
the years, we have heard a lot of unconvincing
reasons not to do an ESOP—and some very good ones,
too. Unfortunately, too many business owners decided
not to do an ESOP for the wrong reasons. Our goal
is not to convince anyone to implement an ESOP
(or any other employee stock plan). Employee ownership
can grow and prosper only if companies put in
these plans for the right reasons... Twelve
Bogus Reasons Not to Do an ESOP (and Seven Good
Ones) - from the NCEO
September
2010 - European Economic and Social Committee
The
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
is the body that gives representatives of Europe's
social partners and civil society a formal platform
to express their points of views on EU issues.
It has a key role to play in the Union's decision-making
process. It is now preparing an own-initiative
opinion on Employee Financial Participation. This
SOC/371 opinion can be downloaded here in all
languages
The concept of financial participation
by employees is experiencing an astonishing upturn
in Europe. However, only a handful of countries
have seen financial participation by employees
introduced on a scale that can be considered as
representing a significant proportion of the working
population. The following points therefore need
to be highlighted:
- The
European Commission's approach – The models should be open to all employees and should
not replace existing forms of remuneration, but
instead supplement them. Additional substantive
measures are needed to promote such broad-based
models.
- Europe
2020
– Employee participation boosts the competitiveness
of European companies by rooting them down in
the region, raising productivity and promoting
sustainability. Its role an entrepreneurial instrument
should be highlighted.
- Promoting
a European model – The modular "building block approach" provides the starting
point for a European model.
- Business
successions in SMEs – The "Employee Stock Ownership Plan" (ESOP) is
a collective employee capital participation scheme,
run by a trust, which for the past 50 years has
proven to be a successful instrument for managing
company succession in the USA.
- State
intervention and participation – Recommendations: Expansion of employee participation
to compensate for state support (for example,
the case of Opel). Promotion of employee takeovers
through lending activities by banks which have
received state guarantees.
- Use
of optional tax incentives to promote employee
participation – Tax incentives are not
an indispensable precondition for employee participation,
but they have undoubtedly had a positive impact
in the countries that offer them.
The opinion will prepare the ground:
- For
a recommendation of the European Council on a
European platform for employee participation,
based on the modular "building block approach".
-
The
incorporation of employee participation in the
Regulation of the Council on the European Private
Company Statute, as well as in the activities
connected with the "Small Business Act".
- The
development of a concept for the European Investment
Bank, encouraging it to link any increases in
loan volume for SMEs to the introduction of employee
participation, especially the ESOP approach for
financing company successions.
Junio
2010 - Beau temps pour l'actionnariat
salarié en Europe
L'Association
française de la gestion financière vient de publier
son enquête annuelle sur l'épargne salariale en
2009: succès, engouement, intérêt croissant. En
Grande Bretagne, les résultats 2009 sont tombés
pratiquement au même moment: boom de popularité
pour les plans d'actionnariat en 2009, forte croissance
de l'actionnariat salarié à travers les plans
d'épargne salariale. Notre propre Recensement
Economique Annuel confirme pour l'ensemble des
pays européens. D'un autre côté, les partenaires
sociaux sont en train de préparer un nouvel avis
d'initiative sur la participation financière des
salariés, dans le cadre du Comité Economique et
Social Européen. Plus
Mayo
2010 - European conferences in Rome
and in Brussels
Two major European conferences will be held
in Rome on September
16-17 and in Brussels
on November 26, 2010. The conference in Rome
is about "Exercising employee shareholders'
rights in European companies". Which are
the good practices? Which models, which obstacles
across Europe?
Could it be more effective? The conference in
Brussels will be
part of the programme of the Belgian Presidency
of the European Union – "Ten years of public
policies for employee ownership in Europe
– past, present, future". Read
more
Mayo
2010 - A cat is a cat
A cat is a cat. This is the present debate
in the European Internet Forum on Employee Ownership.
The financial crisis brings new political awareness
about employee ownership which increasingly appears
the best option for its contribution to healthier
corporate governance, long term vision and stability.
The old concept of employee financial participation
appears now obsolete and confusing. It's easy
for you to join the Forum. Read more
Mayo
2010 - Gnashing of teeth
in France
The
transposition of the Shareholders Rights Directive
sets teeth on edge in France. The member
states of the European Union have to transpose
the Directive into their national legislation.
This one aims to facilitate and encourage effective
shareholder control in EU companies. However,
France failed to implement it in due
time. Furthermore, the transposition project by
the Ministry of Justice brings new difficulties
and obstacles. Read
more
March
2010 - Democratizing employee ownership
Every large European company has 4 Top Executives
on average, each holding 6.475.000 € in his company
in 2009. Most large European companies have now
employee share plans. Most of them express the
idea that employee ownership should be increased
in order to align employees and shareholders'
interests. However, most companies began with
share plans for Top Executives. This is to be
compared with 9.3 million common employee owners,
each holding 10.000 € in 2009. Many discussions
occurred recently about Executives' remunerations.
What about ownership? More
March
2010 - Employee shareholders rights
in European companies
Which are the good practices? Which models,
which obstacles across Europe? Could it be more
effective? A European Report will be written with
the support of the European Commission and a European
Conference will be held in Rome on September 16-17,
2010. It will contribute to open a new door for
social dialogue and corporate governance items.
Here the new dedicated website
March
2010 - European employees took advantage of lower
share prices
2009
2008 2007 2006
Employee owners
9.3 million 9 million
8.4 million
Employees' share in ownership structure
2.86% 2.79%
2.75% 2.43%
Capitalisation held by employees
166 billion € 249 billion
€ 291 billion € 213 billion €
% European companies having employee ownership
91% 83.8% 81.4%
77.4%
% European companies having broad-based plans
53.1% 50.9% 49%
45.2%
% European companies having launched new plans
30.3% 35.3% 26.5%
In short: European employees took advantage of
lower share prices to increase their share. This
is the main conclusion of the new Economic Survey
of Employee Ownership in the European Countries
in 2009 which will be soon published. More
March
2010 - Go ahead
Employee
ownership is a hot debate in the campaign for
national election in the UK (see press review).
From Paris, the new European Commissioner for
Internal Market, Michel Barnier expressed his
own positive will: "I am going to make a
set of proposals for better corporate governance:
Better transparency, better say from shareholders
about executives' remuneration, better place for
employee ownership…" Go ahead Michel !!…
More
Febrero
2010 - Happy end en Italie
Chaque pays européen est en train de transposer
dans sa législation la Directive McCreevy sur
les droits des actionnaires. Dans un premier temps,
le projet de transposition mettait en danger l'existence
des associations d'actionnaires salariés en Italie.
Heureusement, la nouvelle législation confirme
finalement leur rôle.
- nouveau logo pour les coopératives de travail
associé en France
La
CGSCOP – la Confédération Française des Sociétés
Coopératives de Production lance un nouveau logo
commun pour toutes les coopératives de production
en France… Plus
Enero
2010 - 2010 une année-clé
2010 est une année-clé pour la promotion de
l'actionnariat salarié au niveau politique en
Europe. Après le Parlement, c'est au tour de la
nouvelle Commission Européenne de se mettre en
place. Nous avons adressé une lettre et des propositions
aux nouveaux Commissaires intéressés… Plus
December
2009 - Exercising employee shareholders'
rights in European companies
Which are the good practices? Which models,
which obstacles across Europe? Could it be more
effective? A European Report will be written with
the support of the European Commission, and a
European Conference will be held in Rome in June
2010. More
December
2009 - Australian Employee Buyout
Centre
The Australian Employee Buyout Centre is in
the process of starting up. Its mission is to
preserve, protect and enhance jobs through employee
ownership. More
December
2009 - You can make your contribution
We will be able to continue our information
work thanks to your support. This is why we call
for your contribution. More
November
2009 - Conference chaired by Lech Walesa
in Warsaw
Employee ownership is back on the agenda in
Poland. A conference was held in Warsaw with the
European Federation of Employee Share Ownership
on November 16. Pictures
of the conference
Noviembre
2009 - Peut-être un moment historique
Les crises sont toujours un moment fort pour
de nouvelles idées. Pendant l'été en Allemagne,
on a pu voir le syndicalisme changer son fusil
d'épaule, découvrir l'actionnariat salarié comme
un outil contre la crise financière et demander
une participation dans le capital des entreprises
en difficultés. "Arbeitnehmer sind die besseren
Aktionäre" (le meilleur actionnaire, c'est
l'actionnaire salarié)!
Au tour des USA maintenant: le syndicat des métallurgistes
United Steelworkers (USW) et Mondragon Corporacion
Cooperativa viennent d'annoncer un accord cadre
pour collaborer à l'établissement de coopératives
d'actionnaires salariés.
Le
syndicalisme est ordinairement méfiant vis-à-vis
de l'actionnariat salarié, au moins dans un premier
temps. Rien de plus normal. C'est bien le rôle
du syndicalisme de défendre ses membres contre
les risques qu'ils peuvent courir. L'actionnariat
est un risque et c'est aussi le cas pour l'actionnariat
salarié. Celui-ci associe le salarié au
risque d'entreprise.
Leo
Gerard, le Président de United Steelworkers a
mis en exergue la différence entre les plans d'actionnariat
salarié ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans)
et les coopératives d'actionnariat salarié en
affirmant que "Nous avons eu de multiples
expériences avec les ESOPs et nous avons vu qu'il
ne faut pas longtemps aux types de Wall Street
pour remettre les actionnaires salariés sur la
touche et reprendre le contrôle. Nous considérons
le modèle de la coopérative de Mondragon avec
son principe d'actionnariat "un homme, une
voix" comme un moyen pour les salariés de
reprendre la main et pour remettre la responsabilité
de l'entreprise sur la voie de l'intérêt commun
plutôt que sur celle de Wall Street."
Votes,
responsabilité… C'est de gouvernance qu'il s'agit.
L'actionnariat n'est pas seulement un risque,
c'est aussi la possibilité de dire son mot. Le
risque est encore bien plus grand quand on n'a
rien à dire!
October 2009 - Effervescence in Italy about McCreevy's
Directive on shareholders' rights
Effervescence
in Italy. For now, each European country is in
the process of transposing the "McCreevy's
Directive" on shareholders' rights. In Italy,
the transposition threat to remove the associations
of shareholders. The federation of shareholders'
associations CONAPA convenes its congress on November
10. Detailled information Letter to Minister Sacconi Letter to the Treasury and to the CONSOB