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Finland: paper production white collars affiliated with Pro union go on strike
Paper production suspended.  The movement, which currently affects nearly 1,500 UPM employees, also affects the company’s headquarters in Helsinki, administrative and financial services, notably...
Portugal: social concern after asking the IMF and the European Stabilization Fund for help
Warning.  The CGTP warned against the consequences of outside intervention to support the Portuguese economy.  After an extraordinary meeting of the union confederation’s economic council, the...
Germany: German employers paid EUR 28 in social contributions for EUR 100 of gross salary in 2010
Labor cost slightly lower than in France.  The survey published by the German Federal Statistics Agency (Destatis) on April 11th is probably going to revive the debate between economists, at least...
Slovakia: key Labor Code reform in the offing
The bill takes account of the government’s program aiming to reduce unemployment and make the labor market more flexible, and of the notice by the European Commission for non-compliance of the...
Sweden: after consulting its members, Unionen announces priorities for coming negotiations
Expected results.  The survey was organized as a lighter version of the survey carried out before the 2010-2011 negotiations. At the time, the members were invited to answer two questions: how do...
Portugal: interview of Manuel Bravo, secretary for collective bargaining at the CGTP’s metalworkers’ federation, Fiequimetal
Manuel Bravo.  Indeed, the government recently resigned because of the austerity measures presented to the Portuguese population.  This austerity program was first discussed with Angela Merkel and...
Austria: Telekom Austria takes up internal and external interim
Last week, the President of Telekom Austria AG (TA AG), Walter Holtz, presented the new initiative of the former public monopoly, privatized in 1996 and listed on the stock market since 2000. ...
12 April 2011
EU: temporary social partners adopt work program 2011-2012
Competences.  Regarding European labor market policies, the social partners want to work on a joint contribution to the Europe 2020 Strategy – the new European strategy for growth and employment. ...
Spain: interview of Felipe Lopez, general secretary of the CCOO’s manufacturing federation
Felipe Lopez.  The manufacturing union federation of the CCOO is the key manufacturing federation in Spain.  It covers the iron and steel industrial, shipbuilding, defense, aerospace, information...
Italy: banking unions present unitary platform for the renewal of the sector’s collective agreement
On April 7th, banking unions (Dircredito, Fabi, Fiba-Cisl, Fisac-CGIL, Sinfub, Ugl and Uilca) launched the unitary platform for the renewal of the sector’s CCN.  They say they want to continue...
Germany: Federal Labor Court makes appeal to fixed-term contracts more flexible
Three-year waiting period.  In their coalition contract of October 2009, the conservatives and liberals announced their will to make fixed-term contract regulations more flexible (see our dispatch...
Romania: government ready to engage liability on the reform of collective labor relations
Liability.  The Boc administration has chosen the same scenario: as it did for the Labor Code, it intends to engage its responsibility for the draft Social Code supposed to regulate the...
11 April 2011
Spain: Correos signs collective agreement
On April 5th, unions and management signed the new agreement regulating, until 2013, the working conditions of over 60,000 employees in the postal company.  The agreement includes the 3rd...
Germany: Bundestag adopts bill transposing new EWC Directive
Criticism from the Confederation of German Trade Unions, independent experts and opposition parties at the lasts meeting of the Parliament Committee on Social Affairs last Wednesday were not...
Areva: interview of Philippe Vivien, Group HR manager, about the European agreement on forecasting and anticipating employment and competences
Philippe Vivien.  No, it doesn’t.  It is our second negotiation around a theme that is complicated and polymorphous.  Our first negotiation was on professional equality and it is true that this...
Great Britain: new social conflict in engineering construction industry
At the beginning of March, a one-day strike took place at the BP Hull site on Humberside where a multi-million pound bio-ethanol fuel plant is being constructed. After lengthy discussions with...
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Spain: already well on the way to pay transparency?
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Italy: decree-law adopted to increase workplace safety
On 28 October, the Italian cabinet adopted a decree-law on health and safety at work, aimed at preventing and reducing accidents. The text addresses both the powers and actions of supervisory...
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mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
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On 30 October, the Bulgarian government proposed a 12.6% increase in the minimum wage to take effect from 1 January 2026. This increase was determined according to the usual mechanism, as Bulgaria...
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