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Austria: metalworkers’ union imposes claims for the new sectoral collective agreement
Strong union will. The Austrian metalworkers’ union is gloating while Austrian employers are having a hard time “buying the agreement.” On Monday, at 6:00 pm, the sector’s social partners...
Spain and Portugal: outcome of the annual meeting of the four Iberian unions
Iberian union summit. The annual meeting of the four Iberian union confederations, the CGTP (General Confederation of Portuguese Workers), CCOO (Workers’ Commissions), its Spanish counterpart, and...
EU: recommendations of the European Economic and Social Committee on the post-2010 Lisbon Strategy
Maintaining the Lisbon Strategy. Will the Lisbon Strategy be reformed? While the French and Czech Presidencies postponed the debate, the Twenty-Seven considered, at the spring European Council...
Spain: CCOO and UGT criticize businesses’ application of the new collective agreement in mass distribution
The trade federations of the two big unions, UGT and CCOO (Workers’ Commissions) object to the new flexible way of dividing working hours and the “wicked” implementation of the new collective...
Italy: CGIL calls on Cisl and Uil to follow for a general strike
The CGIL says that over 100,000 people took part in the national demonstration in Rome on November 14 – with the tagline “Work and the Crisis: we demand answers” – to ask the government to adopt...
Portugal: rising protest against the new social security code
Adopted in July, published in the Official Journal in September and supposed to come into force on January 1, 2010, the new text replaces about 40 exceptions and special systems created in the 90s...
Germany: 2010 collective bargaining schedule
The schedule attached lists negotiations expected in 2010 and 2011 but we are only mentioning next year’s dates below.
Spain: unions come back to the negotiating table after employers promised to unfreeze sectoral agreements
Since negotiations were broken in July, the UGT and CCOO unions have been demanding, before they can return to the negotiating table, that employers unfreeze the 1,500 collective agreements it has...
Germany: employers may force employees to work on Sundays
In Germany, work on Sunday and national holidays is widely banned by the law on working time (Arbeitszeitgesetz). However, the latter contains many exceptions for a series of professional...
Company: EPSU European trade union adopts internal procedure for the negotiation of transnational agreements
The EPSU already signed European agreements but, until now, it managed negotiations on a case-by-case basis. But since this type of negotiation is increasing, the organization’s executive...
Brazil: sixth national employee walk focused on working time cuts
The demonstration on Wednesday, November 11 was the biggest of the six now traditional Working Class Walks (“Marcha de la Clase Trabalhadora”) organized since 2004. This year, the annual...
Great Britain: government rationalizes training and focuses on apprenticeship
Train high-skilled technicians. An economy which dropped by 5.2% over the last 12 months, unemployment affecting almost 2.5 million people: after the recession, the British government will have to...
Italy: two programs may be subject to a vote during the next CGIL Congress
CGIL divided in two. The obvious political disagreements of the organization conference of May 2008 (see our dispatch No. 080456) have spread within the largest union confederation in Italy. Thus...
Sweden: unions present claims for 2010 bargaining
Demanding union requests to boost the economic recovery. The LO (blue collars), TCO (executives and white collars), IF Metall (metalworking), Pappers (paper industry), Livsmedelsarbetarförbundet...
Germany: new minimum agreement in industrial cleaning waiting for employers’ decision
It’s the first time a sectoral minimum wage agreement is subject to the new procedures implemented by the liberal conservative government coalition. The latter gave employers’ representatives a...
Spain: social partners in favor of the introduction of short-time working based on the German system
The idea of replacing layoffs by working time cuts with wage compensation from the State was Ignacio Fernandez Toxo’s, leader of the Workers Commissions (CCOO). “Employees in ailing businesses...
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Spain: already well on the way to pay transparency?
Spain is preparing for the implementation of its national law transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which will take effect on 7 June 2026. The legislation marks another step forward in...
5 November 2025
2
Italy: decree-law adopted to increase workplace safety
On 28 October, the Italian cabinet adopted a decree-law on health and safety at work, aimed at preventing and reducing accidents. The text addresses both the powers and actions of supervisory...
4 November 2025
3
Romania: parents of children with disabilities granted up to eight days of remote work per month
On 9 October, the Romanian parliament adopted a bill aiming to bolster support for parents of children with disabilities up to the age of 18. The legislation, which came into force on 12 October...
4
EU: Court of Justice largely upholds directive on adequate minimum wages
On 11 November, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld most of the directive on adequate minimum wages, rejecting Denmark’s claim that it infringed on national sovereignty over wage...
12 November 2025
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mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
6
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025