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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...
Denmark: the law on CSR reporting catalyzed the development of socially responsible practices in large businesses
“The law shows the right way, encouraging businesses to work and render accounts on their social responsibility.”  This is how Minister for Economic Affairs Brian Mikkelsen presented, on September...
15 September 2010
Italy: Tuscany and the National Institution for Insurance against Accidents at Work sign a gender-based security agreement
“Security procedures on the workplace have never taken account of the differences between men and women, and that’s what we want to do” said Daniela Scaramuccia, Tuscany’s regional health advisor...
15 September 2010
Estonia: employers present manifesto for the next four years
In its document, the federation proposes several measures to improve competitiveness, including to:
Russia: focus on the remuneration system and its “complicated” structure
Envelopes and non-payment.  In spite of the law that guarantees wage payment, payment arrears are always important (over 3 million rubles according to the last Rosstat report in September, nearly...
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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...