Employee participation in co-decision with the employer with emphasis on the works council

Pravo radnika na sudjelovanje u odlučivanju o njihovim gospodarskim i socijalnim pravima i interesima zajedno s poslodavcima, zasigurno je jedno od najnaprednijih postignuća radno-pravne kodifikacije u demokratskim državama. Ono predstavlja svojevrsnu demokratizaciju individualnih i kolektivnih prava radnika i važan je dio cjelovitog sustava uređenja radnih odnosa. U vrijeme prvobitne akumulacije kapitala propisi su više štitili interese poslodavaca, a tek u doba industrijske revolucije zakonodavstvo počinje štititi i interese radnika. Boreći se za humanije uvjete rada, radnici su se organizirali u radničke sindikate te su se različitim sindikalnim akcijama izborili za pravo participiranja u izradi i donošenju za njih povoljnijih radnih propisa. Međunarodna organizacija rada svojim je konvencijama podigla standarde radničkih prava, koja potpuniju i konkretniju demokratizaciju doživljavaju poslije 2. Svjetskog rata kroz suradnju rada, kapitala i države. Naprednija zakonodavstva tada uređuju i pravo radnika na suodlučivanje s poslodavcima o gospodarskim i socijalnim interesima samih radnika. Procesi gospodarske, političke i institucionalne suradnje i povezivanja država poslije 2. Svjetskog rata rezultirali su na prostoru Europe nastankom Europske unije, čija je pravna stečevina usmjerila zakonodavstva država članica ka liberalizaciji i demokratizaciji prava radnika na sudjelovanje u odlučivanju s poslodavcima. I Republika Hrvatska je sukladno pravnoj stečevini Europske unije svojim Zakonom o radu uredila materiju sudjelovanja radnika u odlučivanju putem radničkog vijeća, skupova radnika i predstavnika radnika u organu poslodavca.The rights of workers to participate together with employers in decision-making on their economic and social rights and interests, is certainly one of the most advanced achievements of labor law codification in democratic states. It represents a kind of democratization of individual and collective rights of workers and is an important part of a comprehensive system of labor relations. At the time of the initial accumulation of capital, regulations more protected the interests of employers, and it was only at the time of the industrial revolution that legislation began to protect the interests of workers as well. Fighting for more human working conditions, the workers organized themselves into trade unions and fought for the right to participate in the drafting and adoption of more favorable labor regulations for them through various trade union actions. With its conventions, the International Labor Organization raised the standards of workers' rights, which experienced a more complete and concrete democratization after the Second World War through the cooperation of labor, capital and the state. More advanced legislation then also regulates the right of workers to co-decide with employers on the economic and social interests of the workers themselves. The processes of economic, political and institutional cooperation and connection of countries after the Second World War resulted in the creation of the European Union in Europe, whose acquis directed the legislation of the member states towards liberalization and democratization of workers' right to participate in decision-making with employers. In accordance with the acquis of the European Union, the Republic of Croatia has regulated in its Labor Act the matter of workers' participation in decision-making through the workers' council, a group of workers and workers' representatives in the employer's body