All articles

Spain : a new law limits and organizes subcontracting in the building and construction industry
A new law or regulation on the building and construction industry (BCI) is always important news in Spain due to the fact that this industry amounts to around a 10 percent of the gross domestic...
Great Britain : Burberry to close Treorchy factory
311 jobs will be cut. After the closing, only one Burberry factory will remain in Great Britain. Almost all Burberry products will be manufactured abroad. (Ref. 061056)
Luxembourg: minimum wage due to increase in January 2007
The October 19th, 2006 governmental council approved a bill regarding a raise of the minimum wage. The 1.9% increase should become effective on January 1st, 2007. (Ref. 061054)
Germany: the chemical industry union (IG BCE) presents its demands regarding the 2007 tariff negotiations.
After the German chemical industry underwent a 6% growth in sales (81.2 billion euros) during the first semester 2006, IG BCE wants to put wage increases and apprenticeship at the center of the...
Czech republic: wage negotiations to start in companies
In two weeks, the wage negotiations for the next year will begin in large companies. The main trade-union confederation (CMKOS) announced its intention to ask for a wage increase of 7%, and even...
Great Britain : immigration from Romania and Bulgaria will be limited
According to the Observer and the Financial Times, the government is planning to limit the entrance of Romanian and Bulgarian workers, as both countries will become EU members on 1st January...
Spain : more and more partial retirements before the coming into force of a stricter law
According to the Ministry of Employment, partial retirements will increase by 50% this year, with 30 000 new departures. This sharp rise is linked to the coming overhaul of the particularly...
EU: the tripartite social summit focuses on flexicurity
During the informal tripartite social summit which took place on Friday, October 20th in Lahti (Finland), the European Commission, the Finnish Presidency of the EU and the representatives of...
Belgium: CJEC condemns a provision aimed at fighting against moonlighting in the construction sector
The European Court of Justice (CJEC) condemns the principle of double obligation which affects construction firms not registered in the country. Consequently, the government promises to revise the...
Germany : BenQ Mobile cuts more than 1900 jobs
Three weeks after having filed for bankruptcy, the German mobile phones producer, BenQ Mobile (former phone division of Siemens) announced, on October 19th, 2006, that it wanted to get rid of two...
Austria : failure of negotiations on collective agreements in the iron and steel industry
Management and labour in the iron and steel industry (180 000 employees) separated after failing to reach agreement for the third time in two months. On Thursday, the employers rejected the...
Finland : strike and clash between unions and management at Finnair
Cabin personnel of the Finnish airline, Finnair, have been on strike since 4 am Thursday October 19 in protest against the announcement of the recruitment of 500 cabin employees through its...
20 October 2006
Belgium: reaction of social partners to the declaration of federal policy
The Belgian business federation (FEB) welcomed the bill tabled by the government. Featuring a budget with O.3% in excess of gross domestic product, ie. One billion euros. “It is a positive step...
Fresenius AG announces its transformation into a European Company (SE)
Fresenius, a major German company specialized in equipment, medical and pharmaceutical services, will introduce to its shareholders a plan to transform its legal status during the next general...
ING: the bank presents an exemplary social plan according to the De Unie
The management of ING bank and the union De Unie reached agreement on October 4 on a social plan linked to the restructuring announced on November 2, 2005 featuring the outsourcing of 2200 jobs...
The TUC informs the Poles on labour legislation in the UK
The TUC, worried about the excesses linked to the massive influx of Polish workers onto the UK labour market, joined the information campaign organized in Poland by different authorities in charge...
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
EU: Omnibus Directive clears key milestone in European Parliament
On 13 October, the European Parliament’s position on the Omnibus Directive was approved by its Committee on Legal Affairs by 17 votes to six. Regarding due diligence rules, the report...
13 October 2025
2
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...
3
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
4
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
5
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...
6
Germany: ‘active retirement’ law adopted to encourage seniors to remain in the workforce
On 15 October, Germany’s cabinet approved draft legislation on ‘active retirement‘, which is expected to pass swiftly through Parliament. The bill would allow people who continue...