CLIENTS
ING, Marga Barnard-Jezek, Labour Relations Director until 1 June 2007, and now engaged in the ‘Future Employee Participation Project’:
“I always think of Josee Lamers first in relation to European files. On behalf of ING, as the first Dutch multinational to establish an Article 13 European Works Council, I participated in a survey into the added value of the EWC which she conducted in 1998 while at the University of Amsterdam. She possessed expertise in relation to the subject and took great care. The report was sound and scientifically substantiated; a brilliant publication that appeared in English as well.
When she transferred to the employer’s association, she compiled country guides for ING in preparation of policy decisions to be taken by the Management Board. The European Directive on Information and Consultation took effect in the countries of Eastern Europe.
It was of great importance to gain insight into labour relations and labour law in these countries and the enactment of the EU directives in their national laws. The countries concerned were Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. At the end of 2005, the Management Board of ING decided to introduce local employee participation bodies in these countries, where the phenomenon of employee participation was entirely new. Josee’s knowledge and experience contributed towards formulating ING’s policy in this area. The policy introduced in 2006 has to date been successfully pursued by ING’s banks operating in Eastern Europe. I look back on many pleasurable and educative discussions with Josee Lamers.”
Heineken International BV, Hans Weeda, Senior Management Services Manager:
'I have had the pleasure of working with Josee Lamers for many years in relation to employee participation at a European level. European employee participation is still a relatively new and developing field. As such, it offers multinationals sufficient room to contribute towards shaping and defining matters based on their own insight.
We discussed and developed a great deal. Here are a few examples:
- EWC protocols in areas including information and consultation
- The EWC as a stakeholder in the dialogue on the Code of Business Conduct
- The role of the EWC in relation to international acquisitions, disputes committee
- Innovation and successful negotiations on EWC contracts
- The successful process-oriented approach to European employee participation
- Discussions on management direction of the EWC and implementation thereof
- Establishing the European Labour Relations Contact Group
- Mutual exchange within the European Employee Participation Work Group
- Numerous bilateral telephone conversations.
Her enormous expertise in relation to the field of European employee participation and all the associated areas has always captured my interest and inspired my enthusiasm.”