All articles

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
Portugal: employers’ social contribution payments lowered by 0.75% for employees on the minimum wage and early retirement is frozen
The Portuguese government has lowered employers’ social contributions payments by 0.75% for employees on the minimum wage, and for a period of one year. The TSU, or Unique Social Tax will move...
23 February 2016
Italy: unions mobilize to safeguard jobs during this period of industrial consolidation
For some weeks, several individual mobilizations have sounded alarm bells over the impact on Italy’s industrial future of divestitures, closures and offshoring, being implemented by various...
22 February 2016
Romania: a new collective agreement for Ford Craiova in a bid to preserve jobs
Together, the trade union and management at the Ford Romania plant in Craiova have agreed on a new collective labor agreement, to run for the next two years. Whilst management had been targeting a...
22 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
United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026