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Great Britain: government establishes fund of up to GBP 50 million a year to improve skills
Co-funding.  The Business Secretary’s goal is to co-fund staff training offered by businesses, which will pay for the other half.  This “Growth and Innovation Fund” will receive up to £50 million...
France: “the debate on the competitiveness differential between France and Germany is simplistic and does not take account of non-price factors” (Eric Heyer)
Eric Heyer.  The competitiveness of an economy can be assessed based on factor which I would divide between price factors and non-price factors.  The latter are crucial and numerous.  There’s the...
EU: Member States insist on the respect of their national competence regarding pensions
Free choice.  “This is an issue that matters for European citizens because everyone wants to rely on a safe pension and a number of contribution years that will never be lost.”  This is how Miklos...
Germany: first pay bargaining round in construction failed
5.9% wage increase.  Unsurprisingly, the IG BAU union and the two key employers’ organizations in the sector, the Central Union of Construction Firms (ZDB) and the Construction Employers’...
Germany: train drivers overwhelmingly vote for unlimited strike
“A clear sign.”  As in 2007-2008, the German rail sector could shortly (no date has been given yet) be paralyzed by a major conflict.  Over 92% of the GDL’s members within DB and 96% within the...
Great Britain: report gibes at vocational education and calls for a recast
Criticism.  This independent report on vocational training, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove, was carried out by Alison Wolf, professor of Public Sector Management...
EU: UNI Europa wants to boost EWCs in the trade industry
Fabrice Warneck.  Research shows that, in commerce as well as in other sectors, there isn’t really a problem with information, more with consultation.  Two out of three times, if there is...
Spain: union report on gender equality plans
Almudena Fontecha.  The introduction of equality plans is gradual.  All businesses with250+ employees have complied with the law and opened talks to prepare their plan.  The last large businesses...
Brazil: Central Workers’ Union demands removal of mandatory union tax
The Central Workers’ Union (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores, CUT) has chosen March 1st to announce the enhancement of its campaign for the removal of the union tax, started three years ago. ...
Belgium: successful mobilization against cross-industry agreement
Success.  On Friday, March 4th, many sectors in manufacturing, banking, transportation, chain stores and town services were stopped in Belgium.  The FGTB’s socialists and the CGLSB’s liberals...
Sweden: first agreement on the posting of foreign workers signed in manufacturing
Last spring, the Swedish Parliament amended the Posting Act to make it comply with the Laval decree of 2007.  The latter stated that unions had to sign a “posting agreement” (utstationeringsavtal)...
EU: more initiatives on health and safety in the framework of social dialogue in chemistry
Positive evaluation.  The European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) for unions and the European Chemistry Employers’ Group (ECEG) for employers looked, on Thursday, march 3rd...
7 March 2011
Germany: IAB institute says labor market is increasingly segmented
Boom in precarious employment.  Born from the necessary flexibilization of the employment market or dangerous precariousness for others, the labor market changes since the fall of the Berlin wall...
Italy: social partners sign joint opinion on work-life balance
New flexibility.  The draft the Minister of Labor presented last week (see our dispatch No.  100145) was slightly amended.  The signatories agree on “the value of organizational flexibility for...
Italy: CGIL calls for general strike on May 6th
“We’re already starting with a series of initiatives, and it will be a large mobilization across the country.”  This is how Susanna Camusso, CGIL general secretary, announced, yesterday March 3rd...
Germany: IG-Metall starts reform home stretch in pain
In January 2011, Kai Burmeister, young IG-Metall federal delegate, notably in chare of the weapon industry, didn’t sound happy: “I’m sorry, I’m not in charge of this case anymore.  I am going to...
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1
France: sectors feel economic slowdown to differing degrees
The latest data on France’s occupational sectors (branches professionnelles), covering the year 2023, show how employment trends are shaping workplace dynamics. After a more favourable period for...
2
Germany: apprenticeship openings fall sharply in manufacturing and chemicals
From 1 January 2026, Dutch collective agreements for temporary employment agencies will alter the employment conditions of temp workers. Agencies will be required to pay these workers at least the...