works council

American  

noun

Chiefly British.

1. an elected body of employee representatives that deals with management regarding grievances, working conditions, wages, etc.

2. a joint council or committee representing employer and employees that discusses working conditions, wages, etc., within a plant or business.

---

works council British  

noun

1. a council composed of both employer and employees convened to discuss matters of common interest concerning a factory, plant, business policy, etc, not covered by regular trade union agreements

2. a body representing the workers of a plant, factory, etc, elected to negotiate with the management about working conditions, wages, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of works council

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

works council

Volkswagen’s works council started to sound the alarm when Blume and his team moved from investing abroad to restructuring core operations at home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Workers there would enjoy employment and site protection until 2035, it said after negotiations with the general works council and trade unions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The head of Volkswagen’s works council, Daniela Cavallo, said in a separate statement that CEO Blume must address the workforce Friday and address the rumors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"The mood is obviously not good," Sinischa Horvat, chairman of BASF's works council, which represents staff interests, told AFP during a visit to the city of about 175,000 people.

From Barron's ● May 17, 2026

Advisory committees are also appointed to deal with special subjects, e.g. the commissions de classement which attend to questions of promotion in the various branches of the navy, the naval works council and others.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 7 "Fox, George" to "France" by Various