All articles

Great Britain: Acas publishes guide on how to manage collective redundancies
The collective redundancy reform came into force on April 6 and Acas, the British arbitration and mediation service, published a guide to help employers implement it.  (Ref.  130249)
15 April 2013
Sweden: 6.8% wage increase over 3 years for the 500,000 manufacturing workers
Mediators helped reached an agreement in the first weeks of April between the different union and employers’ organizations in the industry.  It provides for a 6.8% wage increase over 3 years in...
15 April 2013
Netherlands: ‘minimum’ social agreement
On April 12, the talks between the trade unions, government and employers on social reforms to undertake as part of the 2014 budget led to a social agreement.  The deal mostly postpones major...
Germany: no economic layoffs at Vattenfall until February 2017
Vattenfall, the Swedish energy group, announced in early March that it intended to cut about 2,500 jobs, including 1,500 in Germany, where it is planning to do so without laying anyone off. ...
12 April 2013
Great Britain: impact of the Thatcher years on industrial relations
After Robbie Gilbert, special advisor to former Employment Secretary of State Jim Prior, Gregor Gall, Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Bradford, is taking stock of the...
12 April 2013
Great Britain: the Thatcher legacy as seen by one of its architects
We hardly ever publish opinion columns but we thought it could be interesting to publish two articles showing – even partly – the terms of the heated debate on Margaret Thatcher’s legacy, which...
12 April 2013
Austria: textile workers get 2.8% pay raise
The first agreement of the “Spring Campaign” for the renewal of collective agreements in the industry was reached on April 8 in the Austrian textile industry (12,255 employees).  Wage will...
12 April 2013
EU: ECJ sets first milestone for a European definition of disability
In a ruling rendered on April 11, the ECJ lays down the foundation for a European definition of disability, even though the first thing to do is to differentiate disability and disease. To that...
11 April 2013
United States: Barack Obama proposes Republican members to try and get the agency out of limbo
The White House is trying to get the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) out of limbo, putting two Republicans to its list of possible future leaders.  By choosing two management-side lawyers...
11 April 2013
International: ILO wants Europe to focus on employment
The European Regional Meeting organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) is taking place in Oslo until April 11.  Employment and growth are on the menu, in a context of austerity...
10 April 2013
Germany: Coca-Cola employees get employment guarantee until the end of 2014
Last-minute agreement.  “Bargaining was particularly long and tricky” an NGG spokesperson told Planet Labor, reminding that the talks had started in December 2012 and that warning strikes were...
10 April 2013
Italy: new American Express agreement banks on more flexibility and stronger social policy
The new company agreement signed by American Express Group in Italy in January with the trade unions – after three months of ‘tight’ negotiations – changes working time and organization.  Signed...
10 April 2013
Spain: 41st Congress for the UGT union, weakened by the crisis and criticized
The General Union of Workers (UGT) is holding its 41st Annual Congress in Madrid.  The theme is “Union for Labor, Action and Solidarity” and Cándido Méndez, outgoing leader running for another...
Germany: Amazon employees mobilized to force the American management to recognize the collective agreements in force in retail trade
The German subsidiary of the American internet giant, Amazon, is about to witness its first strike in Germany.  On Thursday, April 4, 97% of union members at Amazon’s logistics center in Leipzig...
Slovakia: commentary of the part on employee representation and collective bargaining in the latest Labor Code amendment
The latest Labor Code amendment, which came into force on January 1, 2013, made substantial changes to employee representation in businesses. Premysl Marek and Elena Chorvatova, lawyers at the...
9 April 2013
Spain: Opel Figueruelas signs new competitiveness agreement
On April 8, Opel staff in Figueruelas, near Saragossa, validated the new collective agreement negotiated by the works council’s representatives and the site’s management.  65% followed the 3...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
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What readers clicked on the most last month.
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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
2
Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills
A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...
5 January 2026
3
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026
4
Italy: banking group Intesa Sanpaolo sharpens focus on quality of life at work
Over the Christmas period Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest bank, penned with trade unions a deal to renew the first part of the company agreement, covering work-life balance, inclusion, parenthood...
14 January 2026