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Canada: Supreme Court validates Wal-Mart’s decision to close a store where a union gained following
“No legislation obliges any employer to remain in business.” On November 27, the supreme court of Canada has upheld the right of Wal-Mart’s management to shut down one of its stores in Quebec, in...
Italy: Fiat confirms automotive production halt in Sicilian plant
Twenty days to find a solution. Confirming the decision to stop automotive production in 2011 in the Termini Imerese plant, Fiat’s managing director, Sergio Marchionne declared that “the...
EU: the Council recommends Member States to improve workers’ protection against the tobacco smoke
Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia abstained from voting. The recommendation is based, almost word for word, on the text proposed by the European Commission on June 30 (see our dispatch...
Austria: trade partners agree on wage increases between 1.5 and 1.8%
When presenting the terms of the wage agreement negotiated for the 570,000 workers in trade (including wholesale pharmaceutical trade), Manfred Wolf, negotiator for the GPA union, is mostly happy...
Finland: in spite of the crisis, wage increases in chemistry are higher than the top limits recommended by employers’ organizations
This is an important result. Indeed, by a schedule coincidence, the period for the application of most collective agreement in Finland negotiated between 2006 and 2008 will expire in early 2010...
Areva: EWC denounces bad sales conditions for workers at its T&D branch
Social concerns. By announcing, on November 30, the beginning of exclusive negotiations with Alstom/Schneider Electric, Areva ended several weeks of faux suspense around the sale of its T&D...
Italy: Fiom-CGIL presents popular own-initiative bill on union democracy
Popular own-initiative bill. As of January 2010, the Fiom will start, in factories and regions, collecting the 50,000 signatures it needs to present its popular own-initiative bill for union...
Hungary: two new acts revise the functioning of tripartite and sectoral social dialog structures
arian Constitutional Court questioning the co-determination right granted to national and sectoral social dialog structures, the Hungarian Parliament adopted two acts revising the powers of these...
Spain: Michelin signs job cut agreement providing for 380 early retirements
entral works council and management signed an employment regulation program (ERE) which will be implemented on January 1, 2010 and which will end in 380 early retirements. They also announced the...
EU: political agreement on the draft directive on parental leave
Council of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs signed a political agreement on the draft directive on parental leave, based on the agreement signed by the European social partners in June...
Netherlands: no more court formula for “manifestly unreasonable” layoffs
In the Netherlands, employers who want to part with an employee have two options: use the dissolution proceedings or ask employment services (CWI) for a layoff authorization. In that case, the...
Germany: IG BCE chemistry union sets the maintenance of employment as its priority for 2010 collective bargaining
“So far, the social partners in the chemical industry have managed to overcome the crisis without any major layoff wave. And we need, as much as we can, to keep it this way” explained Peter...
EU: left-wing economist Laszlo Andor appointed Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs
stranger, an economist with no political experienced specialized in the transition of eastern economies, the European Commission is showing its will to turn the Employment and Social Affairs...
Italy: preparations for the next CGIL Congress uncover the internal conflict
tional executive committee on November 23 launched the preparations for the confederation’s 16th Congress, in Rimini on May 5-8, 2010, during which the two conflicting programs will be...
Great Britain: government accepts the recommendations of the report on the reform of the banking sector
Expected publication of the final report. In February 2009, the government asked Sir David Walker to study the finance sector, and the final recommendations regarding the reform of corporate...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
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1
France: Yves Rocher convicted of breach of duty of vigilance for infringement of freedom of association
The specialised chamber of the Paris Judicial Court convicted Yves Rocher on 12 March for breaching its duty of vigilance. The group was sued by Turkish employees dismissed in 2018 by a subsidiary...
12 March 2026
2
Spain: business support package to tackle the economic impact of the Middle East conflict
The Spanish government approved a series of measures on 20 March to support companies facing rising energy prices. In return, these businesses are prohibited from making redundancies for economic...
23 March 2026
3
EU: Council adopts position on simplifying AI rules
The Council of the EU approved its position on 13 March regarding the “omnibus regulation” proposal, published last November by the Commission to simplify the AI Act. Confirming the...
20 March 2026
4
Germany: a corporate group supports local political engagement via its “Democracy Charter”
Large corporations in the Hesse region, surrounding Frankfurt, are defending local democracy by enabling employees to volunteer in local public life through an initiative dubbed the "Democracy...
11 March 2026
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United States: Coca-Cola subsidiary sued by the administration over women-only event
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on 18 February that it is launching federal proceedings against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast for “sex-based...
6 March 2026