All articles

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...
Portugal: general strike against austerity on November 24th
Almost unseen movement.  This is extremely rare in Portugal, it has only happened once, in 1988, against the labor laws of Cavaco Silva’s administration (current President of the Republic).  The...
Greece: new decree questions national collective agreements
A country in the red.  Social atmosphere is getting even thicker in Greece this fall.  The application of the severity program, imposed by what is also known as the Troika (the IMF, the European...
7 October 2010
Italy: CGIL presents social dampers reform
Simplifying the Italian unemployment insurance system, extending protection to workers who don’t have it, and make it all financially bearable.  This is the goal of the social dampers reform...
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
Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”
On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...
2
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
3
Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement
Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...
12 December 2025
4
France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval
The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...
5
EU: revised EWC directive published in official journal
The revision of the European Works Councils Directive, adopted by the European Parliament on 9 October, was published on 11 December in the EU’s official journal. Initiated in early 2023 by...
6
Germany: far-right-aligned ‘union’ sets sights on Volkswagen works councils
At next spring’s German works council elections, Zentrum – the 'alternative' union aligned with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party – will seek to strengthen its foothold in major...