All articles

United States: Amazon workers in New York vote to form first union
Marking a first in the history of e-commerce giant Amazon in the United States, employees at one of its New York warehouses voted to form a union on Friday 1 April. The vote, which finished 2,654...
Germany: public banks pen collective agreement allowing more remote work  
Against the backdrop of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the social partners in Germany’s public banking sector managed to tie-up negotiations and sign a new collective agreement on...
Ireland: workers granted 10 days of paid sick leave from 2026
On 29 March, the Irish government approved the Sick Leave Bill 2022, which will for the first time establish a legal framework for paid sick leave, paid by companies. Firms will from now on have...
1 April 2022
Germany: labour minister looks to facilitate Ukrainian refugee access to jobs
With around 283,000 Ukrainian refugees having officially registered in Germany since the start of the Russian invasion, labour and social affairs minister Hubertus Heil – of the Social Democratic...
1 April 2022
United Kingdom: government pledges to publish code of practice on “fire and rehire”
Since the beginning of the pandemic the UK has seen a boom in the practice of “fire and rehire”, which consists of companies dismissing workers and rehiring them on new...
1 April 2022
France: the Saint-Gobain national ‘Agir Durablement’ programme relies on employee engagement to strengthen diversity and inclusion
In spring 2021 the French multinational building materials group launched its ‘Agir Durablement’ (Act Sustainably) programme, which enables its 38,000 employees in France to get involved in...
31 March 2022
France: three unions put McDonald’s on notice to publish a vigilance plan
The restaurant group McDonald’s has been given formal legal notice to publish a vigilance plan; an obligation imposed on multinationals since 2017 (c.f. articleNo. 10079). The decision comes...
31 March 2022
Italy: new innovative collective agreement for the construction sector addresses training, safety, and sustainable development
With business booming across Italy’s construction sector due, both to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for infrastructure and other major works as well as tax incentives geared to...
31 March 2022
Italy: state of health emergency to end on 31 March
The Italian government has decided to gradually lift its anti-Covid measures. The health pass at work, which has been compulsory since 15 October 2021 (c.f. article No.12685), will remain in force...
30 March 2022
Great Britain: a law to force ferry companies to pay the legal minimum wage
This decision on enforcing payment of the legal minimum wage at UK ports comes after P&O Ferries abruptly terminated the employment of 800 seafarers on 17 March. The massive restructuring...
Germany: three major unions call for short-time working for industries affected by the war in Ukraine
On 29 March and faced with soaring energy prices and supply problems linked to the war in Ukraine, the presidents of the three main German industrial unions, namely, IG Metall (metallurgy), IG BCE...
India: two-day strike for labour rights and better wages
Around a dozen or so Indian trade unions have called for a two-day strike spanning 28 and 29 March to protest the government’s economic policies and to advocate for workers’ rights...
Germany: a 5.2% salary increase and a jobs guarantee for Deutsche Bank subsidiary Postbank employees
On 23 March and in putting an end to their dispute, the Verdi trade union and Deutsche Bank announced that they had reached a new collective agreement for the 15,000 employees of the bank’s...
29 March 2022
Brazil: ILO and Ministry of Labor launch guide to map job changes
On 23 March the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the International Labor Organization (ILO) launched Brazil’s first Guide to Occupations. This online document offers updated quantitative...
29 March 2022
United Kingdom: government decides against compulsory ethnicity pay gap reporting for companies
The UK government has no intention of forcing large companies to disclose their ethnicity pay gap, despite prior promises from the Conservatives and widespread calls for such a requirement. This...
28 March 2022
United States: 150 companies oppose anti-gay legislation in Florida
The “Parental Rights in Education” bill recently passed in the state of Florida has come up against strong opposition on the part of 150 companies, which have signed a letter penned by the Human...
28 March 2022
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”
On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...
2
Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle
In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...
2 December 2025
3
Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining
On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...
2 December 2025
4
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
5
Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement
Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...
12 December 2025
6
Italy: new collective agreement for mechanical engineering and metalworking sectors focuses on defending purchasing power
The deal struck on 22 November between Italy’s social partners in the mechanical engineering and metalworking sector brings an end to a long and contentious bargaining process. The agreement –...
25 November 2025