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Great Britain: Universities Minister promises higher number of and status for apprentices
More apprentices, more recognition. Apprentices working in key sectors (notably the industry) will gain the title of “technician” after completion of their course. David Willetts this is a way of...
6 October 2010
Finland: unions try to be united for the cycle of fall collective bargaining
Wage increases for employees in new technologies and phone operators.  After long negotiations and a strike threat by the TU industrial workers’ union in September to the two key mobile phone and...
6 October 2010
Uruguay: general strike on October 7th to support union claims
Just like what happened two years ago, Uruguayan plenary workers’ interunion-national workers’ convention (Plenaria Intersidical de Trabajadores-Convención Nacional de Trabajadores, PIT-CNT) had...
Netherlands: new government wants to cut minimum wage
A coalition agreement between the liberal party (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) was presented on September 30th and approved on October 5th by the Christian democrats’...
Italy: negotiations started for the “growth pact” promoted by the Confindustria employers’ organization
The “sense of responsibility” prevailed: “all the social partners took a step back from their individual interests to work on the country’s interests.”  This is how Emma Marcegaglia, leader of...
Great Britain: Confederation of British Industry presents concrete proposals to limit the right to strike
The rationale for the CBI’s proposals is three-fold. First, industrial action could jeopardise the fragile economic recovery. Second, only 15% of workers in the private sector are union members...
Estonia: trade unions publish their own manifesto as an answer to employers’ work program
Pensions, unemployment benefits and education.  Unions and employers did a sparring match through texts two weeks after the ETTK employers’ organization presented its work program (see our...
Germany: 2011/2012 collective bargaining schedule
2010 negotiations end with a controversy on equal pay.  Will the agreement signed in the steel industry – introducing equal pay between permanent  and temporary workers, as well as a 3.6% increase...
Switzerland: under the threat of a referendum, the Parliament is refusing to open the postal market
Ballot.  Communication workers’ unions won a first battle.  On September 29th, the Swiss House of Representatives, the National Council, refused (102 against, 82 for) to open the postal market to...
Spain: peers drive head of employers’ confederation to quit
Disputed management. Mr. Diaz Ferrán hoped to stay in position until the end of his term in 2013.  But it had become impossible to defend. He was increasingly openly questioned within the...
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5 October 2010
Great Britain: government presents plan to extend the right to flexible work
on September 30th: parents of children under 18 will be allowed to ask their employer for flexible working arrangements from next April. This is a first step towards the possible extension of this...
EU: Uni wants to promote ‘whistleblowing’ in businesses
Whistleblowing is more widespread in the UK and the US than it is in continental Europe. This practice consists in employees knowing about offenses, statutory violations or any hazard to health or...
4 October 2010
Italy: Lombardy launches apprenticeship replacing mandatory school training
A “reform with a very high cultural value,” is how the President of Lombardy, Roberto Formigoni, presented the apprenticeship agreement he signed on Monday, September 27th with the Minister of...
Germany: two of the three temporary employers’ organizations announce their merger
Merger in 2011. “It’s time temporary businesses joined forces. Consequently, the managements of our two federations unanimously decided to quickly launch the procedure for the AMP and BZA to...
Denmark: LO publishes “green paper” on nanotechnologies
Without trying to “prevent the development of nanotechnologies,” but making sure it won’t “damage the health and safety of present and future generations,” LO presented, last week, its “green...
1 October 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
United Kingdom: government launches consultation on AI and data protection rules
L’info. Le gouvernement britannique a lancé, du 15 juillet au 9 septembre 2026, une consultation afin d’identifier les dispositifs juridiques, techniques et de gouvernance...
28 August 2026
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EU: social partners set out position on guidelines for the sustainability due diligence directive
The news. Following the final adoption of the omnibus directive in February, the European Commission launched a consultation in June aimed at guiding it in drafting guidelines on the application...
28 August 2026
3
Import bans on forced labor products are multiplying
Under pressure from new US tariffs, many countries have presented texts in recent weeks to ban the import of products made with forced labor. A real breakthrough for workers' rights or a mere...
9 September 2026
4
Germany: a “simplification” proposal for the Corporate Governance Code
In early August, the Government Commission presented proposals to reform the Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex (DCGK), Germany’s Corporate Governance Code. The proposals are primarily aimed at...
31 August 2026
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Slovakia: a bill to “clarify” personal data protection measures
The news. The Slovak government approved a bill on personal data protection on August 26, 2026. This text aims to clarify existing regulations regarding employees’ rights and...
7 September 2026
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France: EDF served formal notice for failure to comply with its sustainability due diligence obligations
The news. On 23 September, Greenpeace France announced that it had served EDF with a formal notice for failure to comply with its sustainability due diligence obligations due to the risks of harm...
24 September 2026