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Germany: first representative study to look at measures increasing older workers’ productivity
German lab.  Since demographic ageing is more significant in Germany than for its neighbors, the businesses of the top European economy have become true labs on the employment of older workers. ...
Denmark: union membership is decreasing, threatening the Danish model
1,045,000 employees (39%) aren’t members of a union organization that signed an agreement.  Among these, one in three (versus one in four in 1995) isn’t a union member at all.  It’s the first time...
Germany: the two major rail unions announce a series of warning strikes starting on October 25th
Warning strikes and employers’ anger.  In an ultimatum presented in mid-September (see our dispatch No. 100648), Transnet and GDBA warned that, if the employers of the key private operators in...
Rhodia: interview with Bernard Chambon, President of Rhodia Chemistry, and Jacques Kheliff, sustainable development director
global agreement with the International Federation of Chemical Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), Rhodia stands out with its early commitment in terms of CSR. In an interview...
Italy: CGIL denounces new blow to health and safety at work regulations
According to the National Institution for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail), industrial accidents are decreasing.  In 2009, 790,000 were listed (as opposed to 875,144 in 2008), 1,050 of...
13 October 2010
Netherlands: special “odd jobs” system maintained in 2011
Piet Hein Donner, outgoing Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, decided, on Friday, October 8th, to maintain, in 2011, the “kleinebanenregeling,” a special system for “odd jobs,” introduced this...
Great Britain: partial victory for insurers against asbestos victims
Checkered rulings.  In 2008, within the framework of a trial opposing six former employees suffering from mesothelioma and the company’s insurers, who refused to pay, the High Court declared...
EU: the schedule and content of the future framework on the anticipation of change and restructuring are taking shape
Significant shift in priorities. First act that sets the scene, the communication expected for October 27th on the industrial policy, presented by Commissioner Antonio Tajani, is already, in...
Sweden: Sandvik allows workers and executives to arrange the end of their career after 61
Equalitarian agreement.  Flexible end of career at Sandvik was introduced in 2003, but for workers aged 62 only.  It took longer to set up the process for executives because the union’s young...
12 October 2010
Slovakia: draft bill on the reform of the Labor Code about parental leave, EWCs and appeal to temporary work
Gender equality. The legislative proposal aforementioned provides, first, for the amendment of some of the principles of the Labor Code, which the ECJ ruled didn’t comply with Directive 2002/73 on...
Italy: the two poles of Italian unionism demonstrated in Turin and Rome on Saturday
“Over 100,000 demonstrators” (police say 50,000) were gathered by the Cisl and Uil on the Piazza del Popolo in Rome on Saturday, October 9th to ask the government for a table on the “fiscal...
Germany: federal government launches “national action plan for corporate social responsibility”
Make CSR a characteristic of the German economy.  “Successful companies don’t grow on trees.  In the network world of the 21st century, businesses can no longer afford short-term strategies. ...
11 October 2010
Sweden: unions agree on the principle of restructuring Posten Norden but criticize the modalities
Necessary restructuring because of drop in mail volume.  Aside from the announcement of the appointment of a new chair, a restructuring program was presented on September 29th.  It should apply...
11 October 2010
United States: General Motors reinvests in Detroit
From south Korea to the US.  The management of General Motors decided to make its new compact car in the US, after securing new pay concessions from the United Auto Workers (UAW). “No American...
France: the act on social dialog in very small enterprises was passed
Social dialog is finally going to be a part of France’s very small enterprises. Whereas employees working in these businesses represent over 20% of employees in the private sector, i.e. about 4...
Spain: after the labor market reform, the pension reform
Experts are sounding the alarm, pointing to the urgency and need for the implementation of a truly ambitious reform to establish strong social bases to move to a viable, fair and transparent...
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1
Spain: already well on the way to pay transparency?
Spain is preparing for the implementation of its national law transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which will take effect on 7 June 2026. The legislation marks another step forward in...
5 November 2025
2
Italy: decree-law adopted to increase workplace safety
On 28 October, the Italian cabinet adopted a decree-law on health and safety at work, aimed at preventing and reducing accidents. The text addresses both the powers and actions of supervisory...
4 November 2025
3
EU: Court of Justice largely upholds directive on adequate minimum wages
On 11 November, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld most of the directive on adequate minimum wages, rejecting Denmark’s claim that it infringed on national sovereignty over wage...
12 November 2025
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Romania: parents of children with disabilities granted up to eight days of remote work per month
On 9 October, the Romanian parliament adopted a bill aiming to bolster support for parents of children with disabilities up to the age of 18. The legislation, which came into force on 12 October...
5
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...
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Bulgaria: government proposes 12.6% minimum wage rise for 2026
On 30 October, the Bulgarian government proposed a 12.6% increase in the minimum wage to take effect from 1 January 2026. This increase was determined according to the usual mechanism, as Bulgaria...
14 November 2025