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Germany: IG-Metall starts warning strikes
The IG-Metall is full of energy.  This year, the IG-Metall sent employers a lot of claims.  The metalworkers’ union, which negotiates the wages of 3.6 million employees in the automotive...
Finland: social partners agree on immediate measures for pensions and unemployment insurance but create working committee for an in-depth reform in 2017
This short-term agreement was a last-minute answer to make sure that the government wouldn’t take legislative action to cut pensions – which would readjust public finances.  The negotiations had...
Colombia: Carrefour and the brand new UTCC union sign their first wage agreement
Result of an international framework agreement.  UNI Global, the international federation, said this agreement was “historic.”  “We hope this marks the start of a new era for trade union freedom...
Netherlands: budget agreement provides for more flexible layoff regulations and retirement at 66 as early as 2013
In 2013, at least €12 billion will be saved to bring the budgetary gap down to the European standard (3 percent, as opposed to 4.7 percent in 2011).  Without support from Geert Wilders’ right-wing...
France: new CSR and extra-financial reporting conditions in listed and private companies
The law of July 12, 2010, known as “Grenelle 2,” states that businesses of a certain size have to include extra-financial information to the board or supervisory board’s annual report and to give...
29 April 2012
United States: highest low-wage jobs rate, OECD says
A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) on “Low-wage Lessons” reminds that “about one-fourth of U.S. workers [are] in low-wage jobs, defined as earning less than...
Brazil: 7,000 workers still on strike at the Belo Monte dam project even though court ruled it illegal
“Abusing the right to strike.”  The Heavy Construction Workers’ Union of Para (Sindicato dos Trabalhadores nas Industrias da Construçao Pesada e Afins do Estado do Pará, SINTRAPAV) refused to obey...
Netherlands: FNV and Allies sues Albert Heijn supermarkets to reduce “flexible” staffing
Nearly 50 percent of the 3,000 of staff at the Albert Heijn retail centers are still precarious, according to the FNV and Allies.  These six centers supply the country’s 800 Albert Heijn...
EU: the Twenty-Seven divided over the right to strike and the principle of joint responsibility
Cost for joint responsibility.  Gathered on Tuesday and Wednesday, the social Ministers of the EU’s Member States had their first debate on the draft directive on the posting of workers (see our...
Spain: unions, associations and NGOs join forces to defend the Spanish social model
Civil society mobilizing.  Until now, the two big Spanish unions, UGT and Workers’ Commissions, organized street opposition to the plans of the Mariano Rajoy administration.  They called for...
Germany: CDU adds universal minimum wage to its program
The conservatives are converting.  The theme of the introduction of minimum wage has been the sea snake haunting Angela Merkel’s two terms.  After rejecting outright the idea of minimum wage –...
Ireland: social partners call for adjustments to the pension reform
Retirement age defined in the labor contract.  “The simple reality is that neither employers nor employees are prepared for the situation now facing them from 2014” Brendan McGinty, IBEC...
26 April 2012
Italy: it seems that the majority of unions have accepted the layoff reform
The interpretation of new Article 18 of the Statute of Workers is not unanimous.  The management of the CGIL, gathered on April 19 and the management of the Cisl, gathered the day before...
Germany: eurozone crisis causes Ford to appeal to short-time working
Short-time working for Ford.  The warning signs of another crisis in the automotive industry or simple, passing weakness?  Ford appealing to short-time working shows that Germany too is starting...
26 April 2012
Great Britain: conflict could be avoided thanks to negotiations between Unite and fuel tankers
The parties in the fuel tanker drivers’ dispute have continued to search for an agreement to resolve the dispute, putting off the onset of strike action on three occasions. After the announcement...
Austria: the biggest metal employers’ organization wants to secede for collective negotiations
The biggest sectoral federation wants to negotiate individually.  The fall collective bargaining session in the metal industry wasn’t supposed to start in the spring.  However, it is pretty much...
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
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...
4
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...
5
Italy: new collective agreement for managers in tertiary sector
On 5 November, the ManagerItalia union and the employers’ association Confcommercio renewed the collective agreement for managers in Italy’s tertiary, distribution and services...
6
France: Adecco steps up commitment to temporary workers with disabilities
On 9 September, temporary work agency Adecco France and representative trade unions signed a new open-ended agreement to support the recruitment and retention of temporary workers with...
18 November 2025