German law requires the works council to convene a works meeting of all employees once every calendar quarter and report on its activities. At least once a year the employer must report to that meeting on staffing, the financial position and trends of the establishment, and environmental protection.
Where the employer or a quarter of the eligible employees request it, the works council must convene a meeting and put the requested matter on the agenda.
A statutory forum exists in which the workforce assembles, the employer accounts for himself, and anyone may put a subject on the table.