All articles

Austria: train drivers get a 2.4% increase but loose benefits in kind
Adjustment with inflation and privatization rumors.  Six meetings were needed before the ÖBB’s social partners were able to reach an agreement on a 2.4% increase between July 1, 2011 and June 30...
Portugal: new conservative government gets two super ministries to combat the crisis
Technical skills.  The government chose two academics known for their technical skills and their experience of financial institutions and European cases.
Italy: launch of the “Single Welfare Pole”
Published in Gazetta Ufficiale No. 140 of June 18, 2011, the interministerial decree issued by the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs clarifies the organizational system of the...
EU: European Commission publishes table on the state of implementation of Directive 2009/38 on EWCs (recast)
The table is attached to this article, but we suggest you regularly check the DG Employment and Social Affairs’ website, for it contains comprehensive information on the directive and is often...
Norway: new banking agreement avoids strike
Grounds for the strike notice.  Considering that employers didn’t really want to negotiate, Finansforbundet issued a strike notice starting on June 7th.  With about 38,000 members, the union was...
United States: NLRB proposes plan to ease way for unions
The proposals subject to the 60-day consultation aim to reduce unnecessary litigation, streamline pre- and post-election procedures, and facilitate the use of electronic communication.  In other...
23 June 2011
Germany: Berlin opens labor market to engineers and doctors from all over the world
Encourage immigration from non-European specialists.  Until now, German businesses who wanted to recruit workers from a country outside the EU had to wait for the Federal Employment Agency to...
EU: interview of Bart Samyn, deputy general secretary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation, about the future industry federation
Bart Samyn.  First, I should say that we made a big decision – going on with the merger, but that doesn’t mean that the merger is through.  We still need to solve the last elements.  Regarding the...
Netherlands: Abvakabo union joins FNV and Allies in the struggle against the pension reform
000 members, joined the FNV and Allies in protesting the pension reform. This bill was subject to extensive negotiations in 2008 and 2009 but unions disagree on two major points:the financial risk...
ST Ericsson: establishment of an EWC
Maintaining the link with the parent companies.  Union organizations were not highly enthusiastic about the establishment of this new European structure, Requested by the management.  Indeed, STE...
United States: Supreme Court puts an end to massive class actions
the discrimination claims lodged by 1.6 million women against Wal-Mart could not be given the class action status because they were not based on “common facts.” Consequently, there...
EU: European trade unions renew opposition to European austerity policy
ropean Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), thousands of workers marched in Luxembourg on June 21st to protest European leaders’ austerity plans. They were 7,000 according to the police and at...
21 June 2011
Spain: Court cancels minimum services established by the Region of Madrid for the last subway strike
e of Madrid a posteriori cancelled the minimum services imposed for the last subway strike in the capital on June 29-30, 2010. The same chamber also invalidated the minimum services demanded on...
Italy: unitary agreement for the renewal of the national collective agreement in craft metal businesses
After 16 hours of nonstop negotiations, the different units of the different employers’ organizations in craftsmanship and SMEs (Confartigianato, CNA, Casartigiani and CLAI) and the Fim-Cisl...
United States: OUR Wal-Mart or how the United Food and Commercial Workers’ Union is trying to organize Wal-Mart employees on the internet since it cannot do it in the stores
ing a new form of social activism. As it has always managed to keep unions at a distance, one of them has decided to counter attack by creating an online rallying space. This new group...
Romania: planned merger between two key union confederations
l Union Bloc), two of the key union confederations in Romania, are currently thinking about merging. The idea of uniting to rebuild the union movement is not new but is back after recent reforms...
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1
France: Medef puts forward proposals to improve management quality
On 31 August, Medef, French main employers' organisation, published a practical guide to managerial skills, which it considers to be a driver of economic performance for businesses. Concerned by...
2
AI: uneven integration but a global challenge for the world of work
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business is profoundly transforming the world of work, and some occupations are now under threat. However, the full extent of its effects remains...
3
France: Ministry of Labour unveils plan to accelerate the rollout of AI
On 22 September, the French Ministry of Labour presented a plan named Impulsion IA 2027 aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI by companies and employees. It contains 12 measures applicable from...
4
Germany: AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt raises concerns over labour supply and workplace cohesion
The rise of Germany’s far-right AfD, which could soon gain influence over migration policy in Saxony-Anhalt and, following elections on September 20, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well, is...
5
Netherlands: towards a ban on housing cost deductions from migrant workers’ wages
The news. On September 10, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Hans Vijlbrief (centre-left) sent a letter to the House of Representatives, stating that he intends to prohibit employers...
6
UE: Commission proposes measures to facilitate “fair” worker mobility across the Union
The info. On 15 September, the European Commission adopted a series of measures aimed at encouraging “fair” worker mobility within the EU. It wants to remove the administrative...