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Italy: Parliament permanently approves “anticrisis” act
Social dampers. The usual unemployment benefits for workers dismissed because of a crisis (or another element separate from the employer’s will) were brought from 65 up to 90 days, but depend on...
France: the social partners unanimously sign the national interprofessional agreement on vocational training
anizations involved in the negotiation process since September 2008 (CFTC, CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT-FO, CGT) as well as the Medef, CGPME and UPA for employers committed to sign the interprofessional...
Netherlands: working time reduction hardly extended
cial Affairs rejected half of the 90 requests for the extension of working time (Werktijdverkorting – WTV) sent by businesses after the first six weeks to which they were entitled. (Ref...
EU: the European Metalworkers’ Federation worried about exclusion clauses in national auto recovery plans
On November 24, 2008, EMF representatives already met with Gunter Verheugen within the framework of a meeting dedicated to the future of the automotive industry (see our dispatch No. 080926). The...
International: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reports on nanotechnologies
ISO has just published new ISO/TR 12885:2008, Health and safety practices in occupational settings relevant to nanotechnologies, which focuses on the manufacture and use of engineered...
EU: report points to the major role of social dialogue to carry the Lisbon Strategy through
Diverse implementation of the Lisbon objectives through social dialogue. The European Commission thinks that social dialogue is a major tool for the implementation of the Lisbon objectives. It can...
Spain : interview of Ramon Jauregui, member of parliament (MP) and promoter of the national council for corporate social responsibility
Ramon Jauregui is the initiator and has been the leader over the last seven years of the debate on the issue of social responsibility and particularly with the creation of a parliamentary...
3 February 2009
EU: the European Trade Union Confederation revives the debate on posted workers
y factory (see our dispatch No. 090112) in Great Britain revived the debate on posted workers. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) called, on Monday, February 2, for the adoption of new...
Netherlands: more flexible procedures facilitate the entry of highly-skilled workers
ts entering the Netherlands come from India, the United States and China, respectively 3.000, 1.850 and 1.170 people since January 1, 2007. These foreigners met the Dutch immigration...
Great Britain: unions decry British worker discrimination
Union statements. Unions argue that this issue goes beyond standard application of the EU’s free movement of labor accords, which guarantees workers from the European Union member states access to...
China: government gives priority to employment against the crisis
Help young graduates find a job. The number of graduates has reached a new record with over 6 million graduates in June 2009. But they are increasingly faced with problems in finding a job. In...
2 February 2009
United States: President Obama’s first measures for working conditions and union rights
lated by the Bush administration, American unions’ influence and members have considerably decreased in the last eight years. A few months ago, they put their faith in Barack Obama, and...
Dexia: EWC given priority in the information-consultation process of the announced restructuring
Job cuts. The recovery plan also comes with a global staffing cut plan, presented on January 31, to the EWC first and then to the group’s national works councils. Thus, the group decided to give...
HP-EDS: employees still mobilized to try and bring the two EWCs closer
Transnational mobilization. Udo Verzagt, part of EDS’ EWC, reminded the stakes of this mobilization: “We really have the feeling that they only give us workforce reduction figures, coming from the...
Luxembourg: linguistic leave to be enforced soon
anently adopted, on January 21, 2009, the law concerning the introduction of a linguistic leave to enable all employees, from all countries, provided they have been working for the same employer...
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1
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...
2
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
3
EU: right and far right join forces in parliament to dismantle sustainability due diligence
On 13 November, the European Parliament approved the report by EPP MEP Jörgen Warborn on the proposed omnibus directive, clearing the way for trilogue negotiations. Backed by the far right, the...
13 November 2025
4
Italy: European pay transparency directive, a major step forward for businesses
Italy’s labour market continues to suffer from limited pay transparency and a persistent gender pay gap. The forthcoming implementation of the EU pay transparency directive — still awaiting...
5
Germany: EU pay transparency directive to force companies to ‘get tough’
Germany introduced a pay transparency law in 2017, meaning companies are already somewhat familiar with the issue. However, the broader scope and stricter requirements of the EU directive, the...
24 October 2025
6
France: government proposes suspending pension reform
French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu, reappointed on 10 October after resigning four days earlier, delivered his general policy speech to the National Assembly on 14 October. He announced the...
15 October 2025