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European social agenda from November 13 to December 31, 2008
We offer an agenda of the main events concerning social Europe and institutional meetings. You can send your scheduled events to the following address: planetlabor@planetlabor.com (Ref. 080882)
Hungary: the crisis in the car industry will really be tangible in 2009
Hungary, which has been one of the flagship countries in car manufacturing since the 1990s, is devastated by the global financial crisis. In concrete terms, since October, there have been over a...
Germany: Arcandor employees will see their annual wages decrease of 7-12%
After two weeks of negotiation, the German group Arcandor AG, its works council and the services' union Ver.di agreed, on October 31, 2008, on the details of a cost of personnel reduction plan...
Spain: the government is planning to improve vocational training
Mercedes Cabrera, Minister for Education, and Celestino Corbacho, Employment Minister, announced a reform of vocational training for early 2009. The country's bad results in this domain forced the...
EU: the European Parliament’s Employment Commission unravels the compromise laboriously developed by the 27 Social Ministers
MEPs from the European Parliament's Commission on Employment and Social Affairs adopted, today, November 5, the report by Spanish MEP Alejandro Cercas on the draft revision of the working time...
Italy: appeal to partial unemployment in the metal sector is soaring
The worsening financial crisis, a slow global demand which holds exports back, a low demand on the internal market due to a skydiving buying power, are causing a strong increase in the appeal to...
Belgium: wage costs shouldn’t take more than 5.1% in 2009-10
The Central Economic Council published its report on available maximum margins for the evolution of wage costs. This document will now serve as a basis to bargain for the new 2009-10...
Germany: the country gets a national database on gender equality
Which are the most advanced regions in terms of equal treatment? Which are the least? Since November 4, 2008, the people concerned (citizens, local representatives, social partners and so on) can...
Club Med: the group is ready to sign a global framework agreement
The French tourism group Club Méditerranée should soon sign an international framework agreement with the International Union of Food Workers (IUF). In addition to the group's respect of...
China: the largest health system in the world rejects the free market
Beijing presented a wide plan to reform its health system with an ambitious goal: basic coverage for rural and urban population by 2020. The government presented its reform on the internet to...
Spain: the government announces measure to boost employment
On November 3, 2008, the head of the Spanish government, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, presented a series of initiatives to abate unemployment, gone from 7.5% to 11.3% in ten months. Recruitment...
Estonia: the bill on the labor contract on a second reading in Parliament
The bill on the contract of employment, prepared by the government early this year (see our dispatch No. 080026) is still causing a stir. The text - currently on a second reading in Parliament -...
Belgium: synthesis of case laws on violence and harassment at work
The Federal Ministry of Labor (FPS Employment, Labor and Social Dialogue) published an annual synthesis of case laws regarding violence and sexual or moral harassment at work. 226 rulings were...
Czech Republic: green card project to be launched in January 2009
On January 1, 2009 the Act that introduces green cards will come into force. The Interior Ministry is now preparing a list of countries whose citizens will be eligible for green cards. The Green...
Unilever: the EFFAT condemns the closing of the Frigo SU site in Barcelona
The management of the Anglo-Dutch giant, Unilever, announced on October 3, 2008, the closing of the site producing Frigo ice-cream with 268 job cuts - mostly women's (see our dispatch No. 080775)...
Italy: the Cai presented its takeover bid in spite of the five autonomous unions refusal to sign the social agreement
The consortium of Italian investors, Cai, presented its takeover bid over Alitalia in spite of the disagreement of the five autonomous unions. Objecting to the non-compliance of the employment...
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1
Germany: pensioners in work already common practice, study shows
As the German government steps up measures to encourage people to stay in work beyond the legal retirement age, a new study by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) – an independent...
2
Spain: government approves creation of ‘intern status’
The Spanish government has paved the way for the creation of a new status for "persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies, institutions or public or private organisations...
3
France: social conference on labour and pensions to proceed without main employers’ group
The preparatory meeting ahead of the social conference on labour and pensions, which is set to decide on the pension system model and the funding thereof, was held on 4 November at France's labour...
4
Luxembourg: two pension reform bills submitted to parliament
After lengthy negotiations with the social partners, in mid-October the Luxembourg government submitted two bills to parliament aimed at reforming the pension system to ensure its long-term...
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Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...