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Italy: Italtel and unions appeal to solidarity contracts to reduce mass layoffs
Solidarity working time reduction. The management accepted unions’ proposition to appeal to solidarity contracts (see our dispatch No. 090235) to reduce the restructuring’s social impact. 90...
Venezuela: promises to re-hire workers from nationalized oil firms taking too long
s dismissed during oil nationalizations were re-employed. Yet, the Venezuelan government promised that all employees from the 76 oil businesses bought by the Petroleos de Venezuela company (PDVSA)...
Siemens: German group seeks to recruit more disabled workers
A unique pilot-agreement in Germany. Qualified as a “pilot-agreement” by a Siemens spokesman, the agreement signed contains a series of concrete measures. Thus, among other things, Siemens...
EU: economic crisis in the background of EPSU’s 8th Congress
IPS-Europe/EPSU merger. This meeting, held every five years, officialized the merger of the EPSU and the European unit of the International Public Services union (IPS). This decision brings the...
Netherlands: government explains modalities of retirement at 67
Everyone to work until 67. With a memorandum setting the principle of absolute equality, the government shows its resoluteness. There will be no exceptions, everyone will be affected, even those...
Spain: rail unions to escort the decentralization of the management of Barcelona’s rail system
Social conflict has been avoided in Spanish railways thanks to an agreement signed between the Ministry for Transportation and rail unions (see our dispatch No. 090523). The agreement defines the...
Great Britain: government launches Department for Business and Skills
A department with a wide scope. Mandelson’s job won’t be easy. Of course, he will have to be businesses’ attorney (particularly SMEs), but also consumers’ attorney. He will have to develop...
Mexico: 10.5 million euros to help tourism workers
Direct aids and agreement against layoffs. Unlike previous programs, aimed at supporting businesses in the tourist industry, this one is directly addressed to workers, mostly in the hotel...
EU: maternity leave, social priority of the future Swedish presidency
Objections. The legal basis of the draft directive (art. 141 of the Treaty, which notably includes the objective of work-life balance, and 137 on the protection of health and safety, the basis of...
Netherlands: DAF Trucks requests short-time working for 4,500
Wages 100% maintained. Employees at DAF Truck will keep 100% of their salary (65% paid by the employer and 35% by the unemployment insurance) and their rights to unemployment insurance and pension...
Italy: chemistry unions announce national strike on June 24
National strike on June 24. On may 27, in Rome, the Filcem-CGIL, Femca-Cisl and Uilcem-Uil unions, together with unitary trade union representation bodies (RSUs) of the chemistry and pharmacy...
EU: last Council of Labor Ministers under Czech Presidency focused on employment
Renewal of employment guidelines. Close to the European summit (June 18-19), the 27 Labor Ministers recalled that measures aimed at keeping Europeans at work and creating jobs were important. They...
Denmark: LO union presents strategy to reduce the gender pay gap
“The 20% gender pay gap is proof that we are far from parity in Denmark” said Lizette Risgaard, LO VP, when presenting the union’s strategy to reduce this gap. During the 2007 Congress (see our...
Spain: CCOO union says collective bargaining is dragging on
Stuck negotiations. The union says that 1,726 expired collective agreements still haven’t been renewed and processes are complicated because employers don’t want to include the clause on wage...
Germany: wage agreement for 170,000 printing workers
35-hour week maintained. Verdi is also happy because the social partners agreed to extend to December 31, 2010 the framework agreement on employment conditions (Manteltarifvertrag). Afterwards...
EU: impact of center-right sway on European social legislation
European right wins. Sunday’s vote signs the overwhelming victory of the European right over social democracy. With 265 out of 736 MEPs, the majority Parliamentary group, the EPP-ED (European...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
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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
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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
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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...