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Spain: in Valencia, Ford’s employees validate the new company agreement and the management’s social plan
A better agreement with no economic layoffs. The new text contains major improvements compared with the text rejected in April because unions were divided (see our dispatch No. 090695). The 600...
Germany: back to layoffs and wage freezes?
In Germany, unemployment figures for September 2009 surprised experts. This fall, the recovery was faster than anticipated and unemployment dropped of 8.3% in August and 8% in September (7.4% in...
Germany: the Deutsche Bahn to pay a high fine for controlling employees’ data without their knowing it
Earlier this year, the Deutsche Bahn recognized that it controlled and compared, several times since 1998, personal information on almost all its employees and suppliers without them knowing about...
China: expats going home
Fewer expats. The big apartment on the 20th floor with a view on Shanghai’s skyscrapers seems pretty empty. After nine months living in China, Karine is quickly gathering her last boxes in the...
21 October 2009
RR Donnelley: EWC agreement
RR Donnelley’s special negotiating body and management signed an agreement establishing the EWC. This agreement is the result of three years of negotiations during which the company’s American...
Great Britain: government shows that race discrimination still exists upon recruitment
Africans and Asians are the first victims. The Employment Ministry’s study shows that workers with an African or Asian name are discriminated against when they apply for a job (see our dispatch...
Germany: Transnet and GDBA rail unions to increase cooperation to have more weight against the Deutsche Bahn
Two unions already quite close. To that end, on October 26 and 27, Transnet’s executive committee will meet, and the GDBA’s management will do the same on October 29 to talk about this...
Great Britain: government wants to remove default retirement age
While default retirement age should be revised in 2010 (see our dispatch No. 090737), the government decided to speed the process up and called on employers in large businesses to give an...
Lithuania: minority unions revolt against the future national Pact
Minority unions’ discontent with the agreement… While the main unions (Confederation of Lithuanian Unions, Solidarumas, Labor Federation) don’t deny that they will soon sign, with the government...
Italy: focus on agreements between regions and unions to face the crisis
Regions’ effort against the crisis. Agreements concluded between Italian regions and the social partners since the beginning of the year allowed “completing, extending and gauge” about anti-crisis...
Sweden: government wants to make funded pensions fairer
The reform proposed by the government affects the part of the Swedish pension system, mostly made up of “notional accounts.” A residual part (5% of contributions) is made up of a capitalization...
20 October 2009
Netherlands: Parliament extends short-time working after January 1, 2010
Originally, Minister for Labor and Social Affairs Piet Hein Donner wanted to decide after January 1, 2010 about a possible extension of short-time working (Deeltijd WW). Parliament decided...
Italy: home stretch before the creation of a big chemistry, energy and textile federation within the CGIL
Planned merger. Ratified at the last CGIL congress in 2006, the merger of the Filcem (chemistry) and Filtea (textile) was slowed down by efforts against the crisis and the separate agreement on...
Germany: open strike in industrial cleaning
For a global 8.7% wage increase. An IG BAU spokesman told Planet Labor that the strike won’t take place at the same time or in all businesses, it will be “flexible and unpredictable.” It will...
Ireland: unions maintain pressure to enforce the wage agreement
Wage cut. Today, Tuesday, October 20, 2009, the Irish government will meet with the social partners for an informal meeting. The revival of negotiations on the national social pact for 2016...
Spain: the works council of Opel’s Figueruelas site rejects Magna’s plan and calls for a strike
The El Periodico daily in Aragon pointed out that 25,000 direct or indirect jobs depend on Opel Spain and launched a campaign entitled “For employment at Opel.” It says that the Spanish site...
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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...