All articles

Great Britain: unions are not really harvesting the fruit of ten years of “union organising”
The most sophisticated and sustained strategy has been that of ‘union organising’ which has its origins in the renewal strategies developed by unions in Australia and the United States. It began...
Romania: self-employed workers to pay social contributions
16.5%. As of July 1, 2010, people with income from independent activities will by contributions to social insurances, in the amount of 16.5% of their income, like every other employee. This...
EU: social agenda of the Belgian Presidency
Within the Council, Belgium is traditionally with the interventionist States on the social sphere. Thus, the Presidency’s program has a very comprehensive social agenda, which doesn’t neglect a...
Netherlands: regional mobility centers are a success
Over the first four months of the year, the mobility centers (mobiliteitcentra) have seen an additional 44,000 jobseekers and helped 4,200 of them find a job within three months after layoff. This...
Italy: SMEs social partners in the Vicenza province signed the first protocol on regional bargaining
This is the first agreement of this kind in Italy. Apindustria Vicenza for employers and CGIL, Cisl and Uil for unions signed, on June 11th, a protocol encouraging and supervising local collective...
Germany: the decline in the workforce reserve by 2025 can only be absorbed with training (IAB)
Women, older workers and migrants don’t compensate demographic ageing. In the study it presented on Thursday, June 24th, the IAB points to a major decline in “underemployment” in the long run...
Great Britain: government limits the number of non-European immigrant workers
New immigration policy. Home Secretary Theresa May announced this temporary immigration limit on June 28th. The limit was created to avoid increased applications before the permanent limit in...
Corporate practices: Nordea Finans, the first bank to get the Swedish health label
Give workplaces health certifications. The idea of giving businesses health certifications dates back to 2003 and came from the leader of SEKO (sectoral union in services and communication), Janne...
29 June 2010
Germany: nearly one in ten businesses doesn’t apply mandatory sectoral minimum wage
One in ten businesses cheats. “If we agree on a rule, it has to be applied” declared Ursula von der Leyen when commenting the evaluation presented by the monitoring unit of the German customs...
Great Britain: increasing victimization of union activists, especially in public services
The significance of each victimisation is not just the individual activist concerned and their job and livelihood. Rather, it also the impact of undermining collective protection for the union...
Romania: since it can’t cut pensions, the government is increasing VAT from 19 to 24%
No pension cuts. No pension cuts, just a VAT increase. This is the latest development of the difficult anticrisis measures the Romanian government has to take. On Friday, June 25th, the...
EU: energy social partners request structured dialog with the Commission on the social impact of energy policies
Structured dialog. The representatives of public service workers, the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) and...
Germany: end of the Cockpit/Lufthansa conflict
Review of the group’s collective agreement. Cockpit spokesman Jörg Handwerg told Planet Labor that he was satisfied with the compromise reached after the conciliation procedure launched in early...
Italy: great turnout for the general strike the CGIL launched against the government’s economic maneuver
“We’re not an uncomplaining country” declared Susanna Camusso, Deputy Secretary-General of the CGIL, during the interminable demonstration in Bologna (100,000+ participants according to the CGIL)...
Statkraft: European leader in renewable energy establishes a EWC
Owned by the Norwegian State, Statkraft is the biggest renewable energy company in Europe, especially for the production of water power. Based in Oslo, the company employs 3,400 people in 20...
Austria: GPA-djp union undertakes offensive against the “avoidance of collective agreements and laws” in call centers
According to the GPA-djp, the approximately 250 call centers in Austria employ around 25,000 people and 5,000-6,000 free agents considered as self-employed workers. The number of free agents is...
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
Spain: government seeks to strengthen protection for employee whistleblowers
On 28 July, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aimed at providing legal protection to employees who report corruption or breaches of labour law, shielding them from potential...
27 August 2026
2
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
3
Germany: IG Metall demands 5% pay rise amid severe pressure
Despite the crisis hitting the automotive industry, the leadership of the German trade union IG Metall announced on Wednesday 23 September that it would be asking for a 5% pay increase as well as...
23 September 2026
4
Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
5
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
6
Slovakia: 6% increase in the minimum wage from 1 January 2027
The news. As Slovakia’s social partners failed to reach an agreement during tripartite negotiations, Labour Minister Erik Tomas has decided to increase the minimum wage by 6% from 1 January...
1 September 2026