Section 8-4. Information and discussion in corporate groups

(1) In corporate groups with undertakings that regularly employ at least 50 employees, the parent company shall establish frameworks for collaboration, information and discussion between the companies in the group and the employees in the group. The form of collaboration shall be established in consultation with a majority of the employees in the group, or one or more local trade unions representing a majority of the employees in the group. A collaborative body or other equivalent form of collaboration may be established.
(2) If plans for expansions, reductions or changes could have a significant impact on employment in multiple undertakings in the group, notice of this must be given as early as possible and discussed with the collaborative body pursuant to the first paragraph.
(3) The first paragraph, second and third sentence, and second paragraph can be derogated from in collective pay agreements.
(4) For the purposes of this section, corporate group means a parent company and one or more subsidiaries. A company is a parent company if, by way of agreement or ownership, it has controlling influence over another company. A company shall always be deemed to have controlling influence if the company:
  1. a.
    owns so many shares or units in another company that they represent the majority of the votes that may be cast at the general meeting or equivalent body; or
  2. b.
    has the right to elect or dismiss more than half of the members of the other company’s board of directors.

A company over which a parent company has such controlling influence is deemed a subsidiary. When calculating the voting rights and rights to elect or dismiss board members, the rights held by the parent company and subsidiaries of the parent company shall be included. The same applies to rights held by a party acting in their own name, but for the account of the parent company or a subsidiary. Municipalities, county municipalities, foundations and associations may be parent companies pursuant to this section.