All articles

Rio Tinto Alcan: Alcan’s EWC wants a guarantee fund for restructurings
During a meeting of Alcan's EWC, on February 21, 2008, staff representatives received information from the new group's management after the merger with Rio Tinto (73.000 employees) concerning the...
Italy: unions complain about the meeting on Nokia Siemens Network’s future
After several deferments, the meeting on NSN's future in Italy, which gathered the Fim, Fiom and Uilm unions (national and local), the RSU (unitary trade union representation bodies) coordination...
Italy: negotiations on the reform of the conventional system started
On February 21, the employers' confederation Confindustria and the three union confederations Cgil, Cisl and Uil started negotiations on the reform of collective bargaining. Its main themes are...
EU: CJEC ruling on Wages Guarantee Funds’ compensation for dismissal agreed under extra-judicial conciliation procedures
The Court of Justice stated that a national legislation can exclude compensation granted for dismissal recognized by an extra judicial conciliation settlement from the wages guarantee fund in the...
Great Britain: guidance for employers on the avoidance of unlawful discrimination while seeking to prevent illegal working
Whereas the government is toughening the law on preventing illegal work, employers can find themselves in a delicate position : when gathering information on an applicant or when refusing to hire...
Netherlands: few women executives in listed companies
On 5% of women are present within the boards of companies listed on Euronext, Amsterdam's stock market. Out of the 122 companies closely examined by Mijntje Lückerath-Rovers, a researcher at the...
21 February 2008
Air France KLM: social and ethical charter signed
The chairs of the airline companies Air France and KLM, Air France KLM's European Works Council and the general secretary of the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) signed, on February...
EU: Euro-demonstration for fair pay
The purchasing power issue will be at the center of a European demonstration initiated by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) which will take place in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana...
Germany: negotiations for the introduction of a minimum wage in the surveillance sector failed
Following the footsteps of the building sector, industrial cleaning and postal services, the surveillance and safety sector also wanted to get a branch minimum wage. But the negotiations between...
Hungary: a judgment on lawfulness of a strike organized by railway workers
At the beginning of February 2008 the Independent Union of Rail Men (VDSZSZ) organized a strike in the railway sector. On the one hand, the VDSZSZ demanded a 10 % wage increase from July 1 of 2007...
Great Britain: government urged to take action about equal opportunities for women at work
Whereas a parliamentary report is asking the government to increase its action in favor of women's equal opportunities at work, the Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman, explained...
Netherlands: more flexible work for seniors
Piet Hein Donner, Dutch Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, wants to facilitate part-time work for people over 65. A bill will be presented to Parliament by the end of April to introduce...
Germany: 5.2% wage increase for 85.000 steel workers
The IG-Metall union and the steel employers' federation (Stahl) signed, in the night between February 19 to February 20, 2008, a substantial wage agreement. The 85.000 employees concerned will get...
EU: the European Commission reveals the consultation document on the revision of the EWCs directive
The European Commission published, on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, the consultation of the European social partners document on the revision of the directive on European works councils. It...
Ireland: negotiations on the social pact should be tough
On February 15, the Prime Minister, Berie Ahern, gathered social partners for a first plenary session which marked the beginning of the negotiations to evaluate the pact "Towards 2016" (see our...
Spain : the fashion sector mobilizes to promote the corporate social responsibility
Specific measures for small firms. The participants also recalled that CSR policies are a necessity not only in third countries but also in Spain and Portugal where a host of small workshops...
20 February 2008
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
2
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
3
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
4
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...
5
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
6
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...