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Great Britain: insurance companies which covered the employer at the time of exposure to asbestos have to compensate mesothelioma victims
The UK's umbrella Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) have welcomed a new High Court ruling which forces insurance companies to honor...
Poland: TP SA phone company signs a new social pact
The management of the phone company TP SA (France Telecom group) and the company's 18 unions signed, on November 27, 2008, a new version of the Social Pact for 2009-11. This new text, which will...
Latin America: ILO reports slow wage growth
Latin America is the region in the world which registered the slowest income growth since 1995, as pointed out by an ILO report which analyzes wage evolution in the region. In five countries...
Spain: the Ministry of Labor wants to impose the negotiation of actual social plans in the event of mass layoffs
The government wants to suggest to the social partners to impose social accompanying plans, until now optional and hardly used in Spain, even though, according to the Status of Workers, they are...
France: adoption of the Labor Income Act
The Labor Income Act was adopted by the Parliament on November 27, as an answer to the decreasing purchasing power of French employees. We are presenting a review of its main provisions which...
EU: the French presidency stays on track for the permanent adoption of the recast of the EWC directive by the end of the year
In spite of the fact that MEPs from the Committee on Employment adopted some amendments introducing significant changes to the recast EWC (see our dispatch No. 080915), the French presidency and...
France: seniors’ employment at the center of the Social Security Finance Act 2009
On November 27, the Parliament permanently adopted the 2009 Social Security Finance Act. Several provisions concern the seniors' employment and companies directly. The goal is to encourage seniors...
Solvay: the management and EWC sign a charter on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility
Contribute to the emergence of a corporate vision on sustainable development. With this charter, EWC members expressed their will to the exercise of Social Corporate Responsibility in the...
Belgium: enforcement of the welcoming leave
The Royal Decree sets the welcoming leave to a maximum of six days per calendar year as opposed to ten days in the draft Royal Decree adopted by the Council of Ministers last year (see our...
Switzerland: unions defeated on flexible retirement age
Swiss unions suffered a major defeat on Sunday, November 30th, during the referendum on the introduction of a flexible retirement scheme for low incomes. Indeed, 58% voted against the possibility...
Netherlands: borders will stay closed until 2012 for Bulgarian and Romanian workers
At the request of the Parliament, the Dutch government decided, on November 27, 2008, to keep the borders closed until 2012 for citizens from Bulgaria and Romania, two countries which joined the...
Poland: early retirement rules hang in balance
Since the Diet permanently adopted the law which limits access to early retirement to arduous work (see our dispatch No. 080728), Poland's key trade unions have stepped up their lobbying efforts...
Germany: agreement on the conditions to transfer Airbus’ employees to the Premium Aerotec firm
The management and the general works council of Airbus Deutschland, as well as the regional branch of the IG Metall, reached an agreement on Thursday, November 27, 2008, of the conditions to...
Italy: the government launches measures against the crisis
On Friday, November 28, 2008, the Council of Ministers approved the decree-law containing measures to face the crisis. Positively welcomed by the Confindustria employers' confederations and the...
Argentina: infrastructure and tax measures to revive employment
The Argentinean government presented a $21 billion investment plan to boost employment. These funds, aimed at developing infrastructures, should allow for the creation of 400.000 jobs in the...
EU: the education Ministers of the EU-27 set priorities for vocational education and training 2008-2010
On November 26, 2008, in Bordeaux, the twenty-seven European education Ministers signed a communiqué on enhanced cooperation in terms of vocational education and training (VET). The joint...
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1
EU: Commission launches consultation with social partners on quality jobs
On 4 December, the European Commission launched the first phase of consultation with social partners with a view to a European directive on jobs, which is scheduled for the end of 2026. It could...
4 December 2025
2
United Kingdom: government scraps plan to introduce ‘day one’ protection against unfair dismissal
The UK government announced on 27 November, in a statement, that it would not be introducing the right to challenge unfair dismissal (without cause) from the first day of employment in its...
3 December 2025
3
Poland: bill adopted to amend definition of psychological harassment
On 27 November, the Polish cabinet adopted a draft amendment to the labour code aimed at simplifying the definition of psychological harassment at work, or “mobbing” (Article 94 3)...
4 December 2025
4
EU: MEPs demand directive on algorithmic management
Members of the European Parliament have called for a directive on algorithmic management. Such legislation would introduce obligations for companies to inform employees, assess health and safety...
17 December 2025
5
United Kingdom: Parliament finally passes Employment Rights Bill
The UK Labour government's flagship reform of employment rights was passed by both houses on 16 December after a turbulent parliamentary process. The bill introduces numerous changes to labour...
18 December 2025
6
France: minimum wage to rise by 1.18% on 1 January
On 12 December, the French government announced a 1.18% increase in the minimum wage, taking effect on 1 January 2026. The pay level will rise from €1,802 to €1,823 gross per month (for...
16 December 2025