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China: novelties introduced by the social insurance law
Structure of the social security system. The Chinese social insurance system relies on three systems: an urban wage system; a system for non working urban population; and the farmers’ system. The...
Morocco: legal system more transparent and modern, yet corruption continues
This accusation portal is the latest initiative developed by the Moroccan employers’ organization to fight against the plague of corruption.  Mustapha Moulay, in charge of the CGEM’s public...
Luxembourg: two recovery agreements
Index.  Employers, who terminated the agreement signed with unions on this matter, finally gave up the issue of the social index.  Thus, in keeping with the bipartite agreement negotiated with the...
Belgium: social partners transpose new EWC directive
Effectiveness. The modalities for the information and consultation of workers are determined and implemented in a way that ensures effectiveness and that allows efficient decision-making in the...
Great Britain: annual working hours are gaining ground
The basic principle of annual hours is that, instead of defining working time on the basis of the standard working week, for example 37 or 39 hours, working hours are distributed out over the...
3 January 2011
Sweden: IF Metall signs highly disputed agreement on apprenticeship and occupational integration
An agreement accused of wage dumping. Pointing to the fact that Sweden has the highest youth unemployment rate in the Nordic countries, IF Metall signed an agreement aiming to facilitate young...
Italy: Fiat signs new derogatory agreement for Mirafiori plant
The “newco” which will take over Mirafiori’s bodywork plant will be, as anticipated (see our dispatch No.  100895) subject to a new collective contract derogating from the national legislative and...
Poland: imbroglio around the accumulation of work and pension
The system allowing to combine, under no conditions, salaried activity and retirement pension was introduced in January 2009. Thus, it allowed about 60,000 people to improve their lives, by...
Poland: 5.24% minimum wage increase on January 1, 2011
This 5.24% minimum wage increase should affect a few thousand workers.  These are mostly low-skilled or disabled workers.  PLN 1,386 gross (about €347) amount to approximately PLN 1,000 after tax...
Suspension of the information thread, December 24th-January 2nd
We are taking advantage of this slow period in social news to take a little break. The information thread will be suspended on the night of December 23rd until the morning of Januaery 3rd. The...
23 December 2010
Latvia: social partners disapprove of fiscal reforms adopted within the framework of the 2011 budget
Employees’ social contributions up by 2% in 2011. Employees’ social contributions will increase from currently 9% to 11% of gross wages, while employers’ social contributions rate will remain at...
Sweden: new sectoral agreement in communications provides for 2.9% wage increase
A central agreement that fits with market reality.  Several unions, SEKO (workers’ unions in, notably, the energy, postal, telecommunications, traffic, road and transportation sectors), ST (union...
Estonia: unions demand minimum wage increase and social budgets
Too much flexibility, not enough security.  The Estonian Trade Union Confederation (EAKL) has recently been drawing attention to several problems. In October, it published a study named...
Portugal: minimum wage will increase to EUR500 in 2011, but gradually
Gradual increase.  Minimum wage in Portugal is going to increase by €10 a month on January 1, 2011, for a total of €485 a month (+5.3% with inflation at 2.2%).  Then, it will be increased again in...
Germany: retail trade prepares for the introduction of minimum wage in the first 2011 quarter
Around €8 an hour.  Minimum wage in retail trade?  No one was expecting this, even though the social partners have been talking about it since 2008.  Josef Sanktjohanser, leader of HDE, confirmed...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
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What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
EU: right and far right join forces in parliament to dismantle sustainability due diligence
On 13 November, the European Parliament approved the report by EPP MEP Jörgen Warborn on the proposed omnibus directive, clearing the way for trilogue negotiations. Backed by the far right, the...
13 November 2025
2
mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
3
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
4
Germany: EU pay transparency directive to force companies to ‘get tough’
Germany introduced a pay transparency law in 2017, meaning companies are already somewhat familiar with the issue. However, the broader scope and stricter requirements of the EU directive, the...
24 October 2025
5
Germany: ‘active retirement’ law adopted to encourage seniors to remain in the workforce
On 15 October, Germany’s cabinet approved draft legislation on ‘active retirement‘, which is expected to pass swiftly through Parliament. The bill would allow people who continue...
6
EU: omnibus bill stalls in parliament
On 22 October, members of the European Parliament narrowly voted against a negotiating mandate that would have opened trilogue talks on the omnibus directive, which seeks to dilute the corporate...
23 October 2025