Work councils, which employees of a firm organised and elected democratically to determine workplace issues, had existed in Germany in various forms since 1889.
[1] The new Control Council Law No 22 provided a template for democratic German trade unions to re-organise through collective agreements with employers.
The key provisions of the new Law were articles I and V, empowering trade unions to organise work councils, and providing a template set of rights for elected representatives.
Article I The organization and activities of Works Councils (Betriebsräte) to represent the professional, economic and social interests of the workers and employees in each individual enterprise are hereby permitted throughout Germany.
Each Works Council shall determine its specific functions and procedure within the limits set forth in this law.The Control Council Law No 22 was replaced by a more comprehensive Betriebsverfassungsgesetz 1952 (Work Constitutions Act 1952) once the new German constitution had passed in 1949, and a democratic government had been elected.