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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...
France: interview of Philippe Martinez, general secretary of the French metalworkers’ union federation, FTM-CGT
Philippe Martinez.  The current economic and social crisis got us thinking about the need to quicken concrete collaboration on a certain number of determined issues, including manufacturing issues...
Spain: lower social contributions for businesses presenting “mobility and road safety programs” for their employees
Reduced contributions for good practices.  The agreement was signed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, in charge of road safety, and the Minister of Labor, Valeriano Gomez...
Italy: broken negotiations on the national insurance collective agreement cause several mobilizations
“Strong and clear” employee support to unions’ platform: this is how Giuseppe Gallo, Fiba Cisl general secretary, qualified the national strike of March 28th with a 90% turnout.  The strike...
Italy: interview of Maurizio Landini, Fiom-CGIL general secretary
Maurizio Landini.  The crisis we are going through is more severe than in other parts of Europe.  Youth unemployment amounts to nearly 30% and precariousness has reached unprecedented peaks in...
Germany: new improvements of the apprenticeship market “thanks” to the decline in birth rate
Better professional prospects for young people.  As an introduction, Mrs. Schavan reminded that there was a close relation between businesses’ economic health and the situation on the...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
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
2
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
4
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
6
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