In companies with 10 employees or more and at construction sites with five or more employees for the same employer for a period of at least 14 days, the employees must elect a working environment representative who represents them in the working environment organisation and at the developer's safety meetings.
It is important that employees play an active part in the working environment organisation to ensure that the working environment work proceeds satisfactorily. Therefore, the management team within the enterprise must make the effort to persuade employees to elect a working environment representative.
If they are unsuccessful, the supervisor will work alone on the working environment team until the employees have elected a working environment representative. The employer must regularly encourage employees to elect a working environment representative.
The working environment representative should be elected by all employees covered by the working environment team or the working environment organisation. The employer, business managers and supervisors do not take part in this election process.
The regulations on election of shop stewards within the collective agreement area in question normally define who can be elected. Staff normally elect a working environment representative for two years at a time, but if the enterprise and the employees agree, the period of office can be extended to up to four years.
The working environment representative is protected from dismissal or deterioration of employment terms in the same way as shop stewards within the collective agreement area. In the event of disagreement concerning protection, it must be considered by professional law - i.e. at mediation meetings between the parties and possibly in the Labour Court.
Contact your union if you want to be elected or have been elected as a working environment representative so we can help and protect you.