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Netherlands: Unilever helps former employees open up their business
Former Unilever employees working at the Delft, Loosdrecht and Vlaardingen factories, which are soon going to close, launched, on September 29, 2008, a new packing company. The group helped with...
Germany: Ver.di union wants repayment clauses in the rescue plan of the Hypo Real Estate bank
According to the services' union, Ver.di, the call recently launched by the European trade union federation UNI Europa Finance, inviting financial groups to call their EWCs in for an extraordinary...
EU: Spanish Parliament opposed to the draft working time directive
The Spanish Parliament sent to European Parliamentary groups the text, voted unanimously in Madrid on September 19, denouncing "a clear step backwards regarding the protection of workers' social...
Chile: quality label guaranteeing the respect of gender equality at work to be issued to companies from 2009
While the government is preparing a law for pay equality, the institution in charge of defending women's rights (Sernam, Servicio nacional de la mujer) will award a distinction to private and...
Germany: the record increase of sickness insurance raises controversy
During a new summit meeting after several months of break, the parties of the Grand Coalition agreed, on October 5, 2008, on a major increase of sickness insurance which will amount, from January...
Italy: the Democratic Party trying to reunite unions after the break on the reform of the conventional system
Walter Veltroni, leader of the democratic party, met, last night, with the three trade unions, CGIL, Cisl and Uil, after meeting with the employers' association Confindustria on October 2. The...
Spain: renewal of the collective agreement of the insurance sector
Employers and trade unions in the mutual and insurance sector signed, on October 1, a new collective agreement which will be in force until 2011. Signed by the Unespa, the Amat and the Asecore for...
Belgium: Belgian employers say the right to strike is not an absolute right
During the national day of action launched by the three Belgian trade union confederations CSC, FGTB and CGSLB, employers deplored this initiative which paralyzes public transportation and...
EU: the European Commission adopted a package on the reconciliation of professional and family life
On Friday, October 3, the European Commission adopted a series of measures on better work-life balance. In addition to the revision of the directive on maternity leaves (see our dispatch No...
EU: the European Commission proposes to extend minimum maternity leave to 18 weeks
On October 3, the European Commission adopted the proposal for the revision of Directive 92/85 on the protection of maternity along with a package for reconciling professional and family life. The...
Belgium: national conference on pensions
The Minister for Social Integration, Pensions and Urban Policy, Marie Arena (Socialist Party) presented to the Council of Ministers on October 3, 2008, a project of national conference on...
Spain: Seat and Nissan and Seat decrease production to face the sales drop
Decreased production at Seat’s. Seat (Volkswagen) told its employees that it needed to stop part of the production on the Martorell site, near Barcelona, to face the dropping sales. The company...
EU : EU ministers promises to speed up the revision of the EWC Directive
A fast approval of the draft Directive on EWC. After the support of the European Commission to the joint amendments of the European social partners (see our dispatch n°080643), the Council of...
Germany: the Hans-Böckler Foundation says the restructuring of Deutsche Bahn AG upsets the staff
Increased flexibility, work overload and fear of lost jobs in the aftermath of the restructuring of the German railway have sharply increased the stress of the remaining workforce after the...
EU: sectoral social dialogue mobilized against the Commission’s plans in terms of quotas for the emission of greenhouse gas
Within a few days, the European Social Partners of the steel and chemistry sectors stepped up to the plate against the planned revision of the Community system to change the quotas of emission of...
Great Britain: ID cards for foreign nationals as of November 2008
Chief measure of the government's fight against illegal labor, biometric ID cards will now be mandatory for foreign nationals willing to enter or stay in the country. The trade unions, together...
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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