All articles

Italy: giving in to union pressure, Fincantieri withdraws restructuring plan
With intense mobilization showing unusual unity in Italy, unions asked for the removal of the 2011-2014 industrial plan Fincantieri revealed on May 23rd.  This plan provided for 2,551 job cuts –...
Spain: employers and unions break off talks on the reform of collective bargaining
Turnaround in the home run.  Employers and union representatives spoke at separate press conferences and blamed each other for the failure of talks.  Negotiations went off on Monday, May 30th...
Poland: the social partners are working on a model of policies against moral harassment at work for businesses
The existing law (article 94.1 of the Labor Code) imposes that employers prevent moral harassment at work.  However, legislation on the matter, quite recent, doesn’t give businesses the references...
Germany: court cancels all agreements negotiated by the Union of Christian Unions in the temporary industry (CGZP)
A union definitely out of the game.  The ruling issued last Monday by the Employment Tribunal of Berlin includes the arguments of the ruling issued last December by the BAG (see our dispatch No. ...
Italy: 19th annual Istat report reveals Italy’s “weaknesses”
The “Italian system” seems “more vulnerable” than in the past because, to face the biggest crisis in 60 years, the Italian economy and society” have greatly eaten into their reserves.”  However...
Great Britain: Unite union launches survey on stress and mental troubles at work
70 million days lost.  Workers' mental health is coming under increasing pressure as fears over jobs and cuts take their toll in the workplace, says Unite, the country's biggest union.  Thus...
Spain: U-turn in CEOE employers’ organization jeopardizes agreement on collective bargaining reform
The general secretaries of Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) and UGT, respectively Ignacio Fernandez Toxo and Candido Mendez, formally received, on May 30th, the text brought to the table by the CEOE’s...
Alstom: management and unions disagree on the assessment of the company’s economic situation
Management troubles.  Since the announcement, on March 22nd, of another restructuring program in the transport unit (see our dispatch No.  110196), debates have resumed within Alstom’s EWC about...
France: start of the consultation of the social partners on the draft ordinance transposing the EWC directive
Definitions.  The draft ordinance, currently being subject to bilateral consultations before going to the equal committees for their opinion (the National Committee for Collective Bargaining...
Italy: Eni signs two key agreements for its restructuring in Italy
The decline in global demand for oil products and competition from Asian countries have driven Eni Group to take action in order to “ensure the competitiveness of the system” and increase...
Great Britain: skills councils for manufacturing employees extends
£600 per employee.  Last year, the “Women and Work” program developed by Cogent, still in its trial phase, aimed to help 100 women with their training of career development within an industrial...
Germany: not all employees are on the same boat as regards holiday bonuses
Extremely different holiday bonuses.  As an introduction, the WSI indicates that a great majority of German employees receive a holiday bonus, but that they are only entitled to it if it was...
Italy: Italian pension funds regulator (Covip) publishes annual report
On May 25th, the Covip presented its annual report on the evolution of supplementary pension schemes and the sector’s development prospects.  The rationalization of pension funds brought their...
Poland: increased protection against layoff for union representatives
Until now, union representatives whose contract was terminated in an unfair manner could only request damages.  Reinstatement (article 50.5) was only granted in a restricted way to pregnant women...
30 May 2011
OECD: guidelines for multinational enterprises updated
New context.  Started in June 2010 (see our dispatch No.  100374), the negotiations to update the OECD’s guidelines truly started in October.  In April, the representatives from 42 governments...
26 May 2011
South Africa: Walmart needs to give pledges of good practices to South African competition tribunal before taking over Massmart
Unions’ motivations.  In November 2010, Walmart made a takeover bid on the Massmart African retailer.  The latter runs 308 stores in 14 African countries such as Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana...
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1
Spain: government seeks to strengthen protection for employee whistleblowers
On 28 July, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aimed at providing legal protection to employees who report corruption or breaches of labour law, shielding them from potential...
27 August 2026
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France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
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Germany: IG Metall demands 5% pay rise amid severe pressure
Despite the crisis hitting the automotive industry, the leadership of the German trade union IG Metall announced on Wednesday 23 September that it would be asking for a 5% pay increase as well as...
23 September 2026
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Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
5
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
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Slovakia: 6% increase in the minimum wage from 1 January 2027
The news. As Slovakia’s social partners failed to reach an agreement during tripartite negotiations, Labour Minister Erik Tomas has decided to increase the minimum wage by 6% from 1 January...
1 September 2026