All articles

Estonia: union discrimination at Nordea, an example of cross-border union cooperation
Final episode in the saga. Bank Nordea was found to have entered into union discrimination vis-à-vis one of its employees, Hannes Veskimaë who had set up a union section in January 2015. Hannes...
Netherlands : agreement in principle in metal sector (Metalektro)
After a period of unsuccessful negotiations followed by a long series of strikes (article n°9247), the trade union and employers delegations reached an accord in principle for a new collective...
France: draft law on labor law reform sees the youth take to the streets
Faced with union opposition, significant mobilization using the social networks, and an online petition that has, to date, received almost 900,000 signatures, Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced...
Finland: unions accept a sharp increase in employee social contribution charges as well as longer working hours in a bid to boost competitiveness
In a bid to improve growth and battle unemployment, Finland’s social partners have agreed (02.29) a certain number of measures impacting workers conditions. The government still has to accept the...
Econocom: Belgian information services group has adopted Societas Europaea (SE) status
Econocom is Belgium’s first business group to adopt Societas Europaea (SE) status. In 2006 when the company employed a modest 3,000 it set up a European Works Council (EWC) that has become, with...
Japan: Panasonic is to recognize its employees’ same-sex partnerships
At the end of February, Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, announced that employees working for the company who have entered into a same-sex partnership would, going forward, receive the same...
1 March 2016
Germany: despite massive refugee inflows, one employers’ body is calling for a managed immigration policy specifically catering for skilled workers from outside the EU
Even though Germany’s four major employers’ bodies, (BDA, BDI, DIHK, and ZDH), have recently lent their support for Angela Merkel’s highly controversial refugee integration policy, the Cologne...
Italy: Florence’s Filctem-CGIL union has launched a campaign for transparency in the fashion supply chain
Filctem-CGIL in Florence has launched a campaign on the social networks calling for transparency in fashion’s supply chains. Workers in the industry are bringing home the reality of the threatened...
26 February 2016
Great Britain: the small independent workers union (IWGB) is using social networks and flashmobs to secure decent wages for couriers
Two same-day courier companies have succumbed to the pressure from the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) union and raised the rates each courier is paid per delivered item. The IWGB is a...
26 February 2016
News update as of 25 February 2016
Belgium/Agreement in the temporary employment sector over electronic employment contracts. On Tuesday 23 February, unions in the temporary employment sector announced the conclusion of a new...
25 February 2016
Germany: IG Metall union contemplating testing a new strike tactic during the upcoming metals collective negotiations
Against a backdrop of preparations being in full swing for the upcoming negotiations on renewing the metals and electro technical collective agreement, the IG Metall union has confirmed that it...
24 February 2016
Norway and Sweden: debate over a 6-hour working day
It's a recurring question: why not generalize a 6-hour working day in order to optimize production and fight unemployment? This is the unions’ message, and businesses from various sectors have...
24 February 2016
Finland: unions ready to discuss decentralizing collective negotiation
Decentralizing collective negotiation is one of the points on the negotiating table currently being discussed by unions, employers, and the government in the context of improving Finland’s...
24 February 2016
Deutsche Bahn: the EWC negotiates its first ‘European social plan’
Well-known German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is to divide its accounting businesses across three new centers. For Europe, the Global Accounting Shared Service Center Europe will no longer operate...
23 February 2016
Belgium: launch of social consultation over labor legislation reform
Employment Minister Kris Peeters announced that he would be submitting ten points for a labor legislation reform to the Group of 10 consultation body made up of unions and employers in a bid to...
23 February 2016
Brazil: difficult start to negotiations over the future of pensions
The Rousseff government's key reform has sparked mistrust in both unions and companies. On 17 February, during a first working meeting on the issue, dialogue looked like it would be difficult, and...
23 February 2016
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
France: Decathlon introduces a ‘duty to respect others’ right to disconnect’
A right-to-disconnect agreement was signed in late September for the French arm of the Decathlon sports retail group. It sets out a "duty to respect others’ right to disconnect" and provides...
14 November 2025
2
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025
3
France: construction sector turns to long-term partial activity scheme
Amid the ongoing economic crisis hitting France’s construction sector, social partners in the public works industry (350,000 employees) signed an agreement at the end of October enabling companies...
21 November 2025
4
United Kingdom largely retained within scope of EWCs despite Brexit, study shows
A study published this month by the Institute for Economic and Social Research, the French trade union research organisation, examined how the involvement of British representatives in European...
5
Romania: collective agreement extended to entire insurance sector
On 3 November, Romania’s National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue approved the extension of the collective labour agreement signed on 23 May by the Confederation of Employers in the...
6
Ireland: 2026-2030 action plan launched to promote collective bargaining
Irish employment minister Peter Burke announced on 5 November the launch of the Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining 2026–2030. Developed jointly with the Irish Congress of Trade...