All articles

Japan: the long working hours culture is hard to oust
In Japan, even if the official workweek is 40 hours, unpaid overtime remains an old tradition.  In spite of some changes to labor law and the effort made by some businesses to avoid abuses...
14 November 2013
Italy: after leaving Eni, Snam is defining its own industrial relations model
Snam Group, the biggest company in Italy for transportation, regasification, supply and storage of natural gas, signed an agreement on October 17 for a new industrial relations system with the...
13 November 2013
Estonia: first finance union created
So far, Estonia didn’t have a trade union in the finance industry.  Since September 11, 2013, the sector’s workers can join a sectoral union.  Officially called the “Estonian Association of...
13 November 2013
Austria: collective bargaining in the metal industry end with a 2.8 percent unitary increase
After bargaining for 7 weeks, the social partners in the metal industry signed, on Thursday, November 8, the 6th and last collective agreement for the 7,000 foundry workers.  For the six sub metal...
13 November 2013
Great Britain: e-cigarettes are HR managers’ new nightmare
The growing success of electronic cigarettes is forcing businesses to come up with new regulations.  But how to consider this atypical product, which some present as a weapon against tobacco but...
13 November 2013
Germany: employees blame Microsoft for trying to close 3 sites to part with critical personnel representatives
Is the “trust-based working time” system a good thing for employees, allowing for greater work-life balance, or is it a bad thing, leading to unchecked work overload, or both at the same time?  An...
12 November 2013
EU: new European summit to show mobilization in favor of youth employment
On November 12, French President François Hollande welcomed his European counterparts for a 2nd summit dedicated to the fight against youth unemployment in Europe.  Nothing new after what has...
12 November 2013
Great Britain: government wants to set up retirement system somewhere between defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension scheme
One year after introducing the automatic enrolment of employees to a pension fund, the Cameron administration announced a new reform.  It notably aims for greater flexibility in order to appeal to...
12 November 2013
Switzerland: vivid debate over the referendum to reduce the gap between the highest and lowest wages in companies
On November 24, Swiss citizens will have to vote for or against the popular initiative launched by the Young Socialists.  They want to impose, via a constitutional amendment, a maximum 1-12...
12 November 2013
United States: United Auto Workers to get a new leader soon
The future President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) will be Dennis Williams.  The man who used to be secretary-treasurer was elected by his peers during a recent meeting in Dearborn, Michigan...
12 November 2013
Greece: trade industry agitated by the opening of stores on Sunday and the end of the collective agreement
On November 3, private sector workers did a general strike and demonstrated in Athens’ main shopping street to reassert their rights and protect Sundays off, questioned by a law adopted this...
12 November 2013
Great Britain: draft regulations amending the Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) published
Draft regulations amending the Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) regulations of 2006 have been introduced in Parliament. Key changes affect the information and consultation procedure and the scope...
12 November 2013
Germany: in Brandenburg (former GDR), regional administration, unions and employers work hand in hand to try and restore the collective bargaining system and meet the demographic challenge
The Land of Brandenburg is facing a tremendous challenge: by 2030, the population in this region, located in former eastern Germany, should drop by 300,000 people, down to 2.2 million citizens. ...
12 November 2013
Spain: tense renegotiation of the temporary sector’s collective agreement
While the 5th collective agreement covering the sector’s 10,000 employees officially expired at the end of 2010, its renewal still has not been negotiated.  Unions and employers’ organizations...
8 November 2013
Crown Holdings: the USW north-American union, in a dispute at the plant in Toronto (Canada), wants to give its campaign a global dimension
Members of USW from Toronto have been on strike since September 6 as Crown Holdings demands major concessions from employees, including two-tier wage rates and pension freezes. The north-American...
8 November 2013
Following disappointment in the way the Michelin case was handled in India, NGOs are expecting a reform from the OECD’s French National Contact Point (NCP)
Withdrawing their complaint against a Michelin plant in the Tamil Nadu State in India wasn’t completely for naught. More than a month after ‘unseizing’ the OECD’s French National Contact Point...
7 November 2013
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
EU: Parliament formally adopts omnibus, diluting due diligence rules
On 16 December, the European Parliament formally approved the omnibus package amending the EU corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence directives. Their application has been pushed...
16 December 2025
2
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