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Ireland: wage talks at a standstill
Questioning the national wage agreement in the private sector. On February 21, for the first time since the beginning of social partnership in Ireland, workers in the public and private sector...
Netherlands: Shell’s shareholders revolt against bonuses
The revolt could get to pension funds. A group of shareholders united with the consultant firm RiskMetrics says that it is totally crazy for Shell not to respect its own regulations regarding...
Italy: ThyssenKrupp and Ilva sign two agreements on partial unemployment with unions
Ilva’s agreement. On April 30, Ilva’s management in Taranto (Pouilles region), the largest steel company in Europe, signed with the local units of the Fim, Fiom and Uilm unions an agreement...
Germany: Volkswagen’s staff representatives could be the main winners of the next meeting at VW-Porsche
Fighting to maintain the social model. Indeed, for over a year, they fought for VW to retain control over its destiny and to maintain Volkswagen’s “social model,” where few decisions can be made...
Poland: EDF’s employees demonstrate against restructuring program
Angry unions. However, EDF’s 23 unions unanimously rejected this restructuring program, judging that the 1,400 jobs concerned by it are threatened. Unions point out that 200 jobs have already been...
Finland: the merger of several industry unions member of the SAK confederation postponed of one year
The merger between several unions in the industry sector of the SAK confederation was launched in 2005. The creation of the new union, to be called TEAM, will start on May 10, during the congress...
Italy: Enel signs two protocols on industrial relations
When presenting the industrial plan and investment program 2009-11, Enel, the Italian energy group, signed with the CGIL, Cisl and Uil unions as well as their secotral units two agreements...
Germany: head hunters partially unemployed as well
Multiple reasons. Worried about the crisis, many executives no longer switch businesses and “stick” with their jobs. “Even though their position might be removed, most executives prefer banking on...
Spain : the government and the main associations of independent workers have signed an agreement improving their social rights
Covering broad subjects like taxation and credit, the principal “social” points of the agreement are:  
General Motors Europe: management terminates European framework agreement on working time reduction signed at Opel
vings program amounting to 1bn euros presented at Opel, GME’s management announced a cut in managers’ wages and terminated a framework agreement which provided, among others, that...
EU: the mini-summit defines ten key actions for employment
10 key actions. Ten actions, addressing both short-term and long-term challenges, are suggested that should be implemented at national and European levels together with the social partners:
Germany: Deutsche Post DHL wants to increase working time without increasing wages
When presenting his results for the first 2009 quarter, the boss of the German post said that his company’s turnover decreased of around 13% (€11.5 billion) and profit of 42%. He thinks this is...
Poland: social partners to launch negotiations on the implementation of the European agreement on harassment and violence at work
The European framework agreement itself provides that it should be transposed into national law three years after its signature following the modalities and procedures chosen by the national...
Sweden: proposals to simplify holiday entitlement legislation
A committee set up by the Labour Ministry to reflect on the simplification of legislation relating to rights for the various holidays announced its conclusions on 20th April earlier this year. The...
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
Italy: Enel signs agreement to manage the effects of AI on work
An agreement signed at the end of July by the electricity company Enel (31,000 employees) and the unions Filctem-Cgil, Flaei-Cisl, and Uiltec is pioneering in the Italian energy sector. It aims to...
7 September 2026
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Italy: artificial Intelligence on the menu of Barilla’s new company agreement
Prior consultation with trade unions on innovations related to artificial intelligence, strengthened training, and progress on parenthood: these are the main new features of the agreement signed...
2 September 2026
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France: final document on the work of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference
After six months of discussions between French social partners, the guarantors of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference submitted the conclusions of the discussions to the Prime Minister...
17 September 2026
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Germany: a high-tension start to the social and political year
The German government must finalize its major reforms (pension funding, corporate competitiveness, and labor law) while the chancellor’s popularity hits an all-time low and three regional...
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Germany: working time dispute between Mercedes and the IG Metall Union
The news. At the beginning of September, Mercedes-Benz asked employee representatives and the IG Metall union to agree to an increase in the weekly working time from 35 to 40 hours, without any...
16 September 2026
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Sweden: IF Metall union forced to end industrial dispute with Tesla
The news. After three years of conflict, the Swedish union IF Metall announced it would suspend its strike actions against Tesla starting Wednesday, August 19, after the American automaker...