Definition
Workers’ councils are forms of organisation through which workers seek to exercise direct influence over the labour process and enterprise management, based on bottom-up structures and collective decision-making mechanisms.
Scope
Workers’ councils typically emerge at the level of workplaces, factories, or sectors, enabling workers to participate directly in production, working conditions, and management processes. These bodies function through democratic mechanisms in which representatives are recallable and decisions are made collectively.
Distinction
Workers’ councils differ from other forms of organisation in the following ways:
Representatives are not appointed from above but elected from below.
Representatives are recallable and accountable.
Decision-making processes are organised in a direct and collective manner.
In this sense, unlike trade unions, workers’ councils aim not only at defending workers’ rights but also at exercising direct control over production and management.
Historical example
Some of the most well-known examples of workers’ councils include the soviets in Russia in 1905 and 1917, the workers’ and soldiers’ councils in Germany in 1918–19, and the workers’ councils in Hungary in 1956. These experiences represent important historical instances of direct worker participation in both production and political processes.
Evaluation
Workers’ councils represent a significant form of organisation based on direct democracy within the working class. However, political repression, challenges of institutionalisation, and their relationship with centralised structures have often limited the continuity of these experiences.