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Netherlands: unions ask for 1.5-3% wage increases in 2011
The FNV, the Netherlands’ key trade union, is placing the bar quite high for 2011: it will bargain for 2% wage increases in all sectors, a little higher than inflation and the more reasonable...
Germany: Verdi calls for the introduction of new minimum wage in the postal sector
Positive impact on employees.  The introduction, on January 1, 2008, of minimum wage in the postal sector, of €-9.8 an hour, negotiated by Verdi and the AGV Postdienste employers’ organization...
Europe: Germany, last for pay but not for labor costs
Figures on the evolution of wages in the European Union, published on September 8th by the very serious German Federal Statistical Office, could fuel unions’ – and some neighboring countries’ –...
Brazil: Sao Paulo auto workers get a record 10.81% wage increase
Falling in behind the other categories of metalworkers who secured, two weeks ago, a record 9% wage increase (see our dispatch No. 100633), the 45,000 workers on the auto assembly lines in Sao...
Denmark: employers and unions united against social dumping
When it started, on June 22nd, no one thought the Brønderslev embargo (12,000 inhabitants, administrative center of the Brønderslev town) would be the emblem of the first struggle against social...
21 September 2010
Great Britain: layoff threats and labour contract changes in public services
The Conservative/Liberal Democratic coalition which controls the council in Birmingham has sent redundancy notices to the council’s entire non-schools staff, numbering some 26,000 workers. The...
France: employers can’t take measures to prepare for the layoff of an employee during maternity leave
Barely a few days after she got back from her maternity leave, followed by paid vacation, an employee was summoned to an interview prior to dismissal and then fired for underperformance.  When she...
Germany: as promised, Schaeffler introduces joint management
Victory for the IG-Metall.  On February 23, 2009, the family group, heavily indebted after buying its rival, Continental, announced that it signed an agreement with the IG-Metall, entitled...
21 September 2010
Netherlands: TNT to cut “4,500” jobs maximum
TNT Post, the former public post in the Netherlands, partially privatized, announced a “maximum” of 4,500 forced redundancies on September 17th.  However, the trade unions are expecting 8,000, in...
20 September 2010
Austria: metalworkers want a 2-3% increase
The schedule for 2010 collective bargaining in the Austrian metal sector is set.  Unions will send their official demands to the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) on September 30th.  Two bargaining...
Great Britain: TUC Congress threatens government to strike
The annual congress of the TUC (over 6 million members) was held between September 13th and September 16th in Manchester.  First interunion meeting since the Labor Party left the government, the...
Italy: unitary framework agreement on the restructuring of Telecom Italia
A “good compromise” between unions’ demands and the “requirement to keep negotiations open on the future of the networks” is how the national committee of unitary trade union representation bodies...
Germany: DGB union federation calls on government to stop retirement at 67
Low activity rate for seniors.  The figure battle between those who follow and those who reject retirement at 67, to be enforced in 2029, is already in full swing in Germany.  Barely ten days...
20 September 2010
Germany: Transnet and GDBA unions present private rail companies with an ultimatum
Negotiations are erratically complicated. Bargaining for collective agreements in the German rail sector, mostly for passenger transport, is still as complicated as ever. On the one hand, the two...
Romania: pension reform passed
Retirement at 65.  On September 15th, Romanian MPs finally adopted the draft pension reform.  The new act provides for a gradual extension of the career to 65 by 2015 for men and by 2030 for...
Belgium: government prolongs anticrisis measures with the social partners’ consent
Extension. On September 15th, the social partners agreed to the extension of three anticrisis measures adopted over a year ago.  These measures affect: the extension of short-time working to...
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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
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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
4
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...
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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