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Portugal: government imposes 475 euros minimum wage in 2010 in spite of employers’ opposition
ings, the Portuguese government decided to impose a 25 euros increase for national minimum wage (SMN), bringing it from 450 up to 475 euros a month. This decision is in line with the agreements...
Luxembourg: State Council gives lukewarm consent to the draft amendment of posting provisions
ropean Court of Justice on September 13, 2007 (Case C-319/06) condemning Luxembourg for failing to respect Directive 96/71 on the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services...
Italy: banking social partners sign agreement reviving the sector’s “solidarity fund”
mber 16 by the banking social partners improves social protection of employees affected by the crisis who aren’t entitled to social dampers. To that end, a new unit of the sector’s...
Germany: metal social partners sign “crisis agreement” on worker exchange in North Rhine-Westphalia
egional federation in North Rhine-Westphalia signed an agreement with the region’s five sectoral employers’ organizations to allow leasing employees between businesses. This crisis...
Netherlands: TNT Post competitors fight about working conditions
e government refused more flexible labor market conditions to Sandd and Selekt Mail, rivals of former national post TNT Post. Sandd sued the State to cancel the September ordinance which imposes...
Denmark: fewer businesses sued for violating the law on working environment
While, in 2005, the labor inspectorate (Arbejdstilsyn) imposed administrative sanctions to 94 businesses for breaking the working environment act (Arbejdsmiljøloven), it only sanctioned four in...
Germany: Volkswagen will only award bonuses to managers if customers and employees are satisfied
A “revolutionary” system. Volkswagen, which likes to honor its nickname of “Germany’s social lab,” is innovating again with a “revolutionary program,” as its personnel director, Horst Neumann...
EU: the directive codifying rules on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos was published in the official journal
Mere codification. With the evolution of scientific knowledge, the directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos was amended several times since it was...
Austria: trade workers will get a 1.5% wage increase on January 1, 2010
November for the 570,000 employees (Angestellte) in trade was used for workers (Arbeiter) in the sector (storekeepers, drivers…), i.e. about 100,000 people. Unlike the agreement for...
Netherlands: the CNV, the second largest union, is trying to distance itself from the FNV even more
In addition to the 1% increase (for the FNV’s claims, see our dispatch No. 091057), the CNV also wants employers to increase training and social innovation efforts, by sparing 1% of their total...
International: unions mobilized in Copenhagen want the answer to climate change to take account of workers
From December 14 to December 16, the LO union is welcoming, in its headquarters in Copenhagen, over 300 representatives from the entire world for the ‘World of Work Pavilion – Unions have...
Great Britain: government improves support to youth employment and the fight against long-term unemployment
government published a white paper to fight against the impact of the recession on employment. It notably provides for a subsidy of 2,500 pounds for employers taking on 16-17-year-old apprentices;...
Belgium: anticrisis measures extended to June 30, 2010
en the social partners failed, the Federal Government decided, on December 15, during a limited Council of Ministers, to add six months to three measures adopted in June to face businesses’...
EU: the new form of registration of truck drivers’ activities that aren’t justified by tachograph records was published in the OJ
New form. The European Commission published, in its decision 2007/230/EC, a new standard assessment form, which turned out to not be enough to cover all cases where the driver couldn’t record...
Portugal: notice of strike for December 24th in retailing
e and Service Workers of Portugal, CESP (affiliated with the CGTP-IN), called for a 24-hour strike on Christmas Eve to protest against the sector’s employers’ request to bring maximum...
Germany: labor cost increase down after two quarters up
ember 9 by the Federal Statistics Agency show that labor costs have been still in Germany for the 3rd 2009 quarter compared with the second 2009 quarter. It is a sign of stabilization of working...
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
Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”
On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...
2
Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle
In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...
2 December 2025
3
Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining
On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...
2 December 2025
4
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
5
Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement
Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...
12 December 2025
6
France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval
The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...