All articles

Great Britain: growing “cut price action”
More and more “cut price action.” Of the 4,336 ballots organised in the last five years for industrial action, in 87% of cases workers have answered the strike question in the affirmative, and the...
EU: insight into the impact of social dialogue on the management of the crisis in the automotive sector
Globalization. Eurofound’s first observation is merciless: between 2008 and 2009, worldwide automotive output dropped by nearly 17%. This recession was only felt in the EU (-9%) and in the US...
Italy: Lecce Court of Appeal forces Inail to acknowledge renal cell carcinoma as occupational disease
The Fiom-CGIL gave its legal departments the verdict issued on October 1st by the Court of Appeal of Lecce, considering that it was extremely important. The union says this verdict is proof that...
Spain: minimal political agreement on the pension reform
Conservative compromise.  MPs from the Parliament committee of the Toledo Pact, in charge of monitoring the viability of the public pension system, are trying to close a last-minute agreement to...
Germany: adoption of the bill transposing the EWC directive
Enhanced rights.  This new law “represents progress compared with the current legislation, which dates back to 1994, because employees’ interests are taken into consideration better” the German...
Great Britain: employers want listed businesses to be transparent regarding the number of women on boards
Set targets.  In September 2010, former trade Minister Lord Davies launched a government study on the issue of the lack of women on boards.  At the time, he highly criticized businesses’ attitude...
Portugal: government wants to limit layoff pay and facilitate negotiation at company level
Limiting layoff pay.  At this stage, the government hasn’t defined the limit and sent the case back for social dialogue.  However, layoff pay can only be limited for labor contracts signed after...
Italy: new Fiat-Chrysler joint venture will remain outside the Italian industrial relations system
After Fiat left the negotiating table on the future of Mirafiori (see our dispatch No.  100861), Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s managing director, agreed, on Friday, December 10th, in New York, with...
Germany: government adopts bill to combat abusive practices in temporary sector
End abuses.  The Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, promised a reshuffle of the interim act after the Schlecker case (see our dispatch No.  100027). She’s kept her...
Greece: latest mobilization episode shows people are still angry
Demonstrations were equally massive (the largest gathering since May 5th) in Athens and Thessalonica, the second largest city in the country.  All unions, private and public alike, took part in...
EU: European left lays its cards on the table for the draft directive on the entry and residence of seasonal workers and intra-corporate transferees
Last week, the socialists tried to postpone the vote planned this Tuesday, December 14th. They thought the MEPs should debate the draft framework directive on the introduction of a single permit...
Germany: the Union of Christian Unions in the temporary sector isn’t authorized to sign collective agreements, Federal Labor Court rules
Victory for Verdi and the Land of Berlin. For the Union of Temporary Christian Unions (Tarifgemeinschaft Christlicher Gewerkschaften für Zeitarbeit und Personalserviceagenturen - CGZP), which...
15 December 2010
Italy: Telecom Italia launches its “school of labor relations”
“With this initiative, Telecom Italia keeps building a system marked by dialogue between the partners, the only one that can generate value for the entire society” declared Telecom Italia’s...
Bolivia: pension reform brings retirement age from 65 to 58
On December 10th, Bolivia’s President Evo Morales enacted the Pensions Act, an end-of-the-year “gift” to workers announced in November.  The text was signed at the headquarters of the Bolivian...
Germany: 2010 collective agreements marked by the crisis
Maintaining employment, a priority. Reinhardt Bispinck, collective bargaining expert at the WSI, thinks that the analysis of the 2010 collective agreements leaves no doubt: they “were clearly...
EU: European unions in the streets, Wednesday, December 15th
Unions are protesting against the austerity measures that impact wages and question the Welfare State in some European countries.  They notably blame the EU for determining aid to drastic wage...
14 December 2010
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
France: Medef puts forward proposals to improve management quality
On 31 August, Medef, French main employers' organisation, published a practical guide to managerial skills, which it considers to be a driver of economic performance for businesses. Concerned by...
2
AI: uneven integration but a global challenge for the world of work
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business is profoundly transforming the world of work, and some occupations are now under threat. However, the full extent of its effects remains...
3
France: Ministry of Labour unveils plan to accelerate the rollout of AI
On 22 September, the French Ministry of Labour presented a plan named Impulsion IA 2027 aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI by companies and employees. It contains 12 measures applicable from...
4
Germany: AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt raises concerns over labour supply and workplace cohesion
The rise of Germany’s far-right AfD, which could soon gain influence over migration policy in Saxony-Anhalt and, following elections on September 20, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well, is...
5
Netherlands: towards a ban on housing cost deductions from migrant workers’ wages
The news. On September 10, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Hans Vijlbrief (centre-left) sent a letter to the House of Representatives, stating that he intends to prohibit employers...
6
UE: Commission proposes measures to facilitate “fair” worker mobility across the Union
The info. On 15 September, the European Commission adopted a series of measures aimed at encouraging “fair” worker mobility within the EU. It wants to remove the administrative...