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Italy: a reform should finally make supplementary pensions a reality in Italy
After years of missed takeoffs, supplementary pensions are finally set to take off in Italy. Indeed, starting January 1st 2007, employees of the Peninsula will have six months to decide what to do...
Germany: Christmas bonuses are getting more and more variable
According to a study conducted by the Hans-Böckler foundation, the "Christmas bonus" ( Weihnachtsgeld) or "thirteenth month of salary" which used to be commonplace in Germany, is more and more...
Germany: the decrease in unemployment insurance contributions next year could be stronger than envisaged
More and more politicians of the big alliance want a bigger cut in unemployment insurance contributions than previously envisaged. The contribution rate was supposed to decrease from 6.5 % to 4.5...
Great Britain: the mp3 player allows employees to isolate themselves in open space
A quarter of British workers isolate themselves in the office thanks to an mp3 music player, but the practice is not commonplace yet and has already been forbidden in one third of firms. (Ref...
EU : negotiations on the revision of the working time directive under pressure
The informal meeting on October 26 at which the Spanish, French, British, Polish, Portuguese, German and Italian labour ministers discussed the latest version of the compromise presented by the...
Two major global trade unions (ICFTU and WCL) unite to create the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), gathering 180 million members
The ICFTU and the WCL were dissolved in Vienna on October 31st. They will unite with non-affiliated trade unions, including the French CGT, to create the ITUC. The foundation congress will take...
France: discussions between trade unions and employers over labour market reform begins
Trade unions and employers, at the instigation of the latter, met on October 23rd to discuss the possible opening of negotiations over labor market reform. (Ref 061080)
Spain: Leroy Merlin forced to observe the weekly rest period of 48 successive hours
Leroy Merlin is required to apply the right to a weekly rest of 48 continuous hours for its employees. Other wholesale chains are also being challenged by judges for the same problem. (Ref. 061079)
Poland: trade union training courses to learn economics and finance
Brand new in Poland: during seventeen months, 1800 trade union activists will learn to read a balance sheet or will discover the secrets of management accounting. Starting this week, they will...
Germany : privatization of Deutsche Bahn now seems uncertain
Once more, the parties of the big coalition (CDU and SPD) failed to agree, during an important meeting on October 26th in Berlin, on how to privatize Deutsche Bahn AG. The following day, Transport...
Malta: government wants to change the mode of calculation of trade union enrolments
The Maltese government wants to reform the rules applying to trade unions as regards the determination of their enrolment. This comes after a controversy triggered by a trade union which had not...
Spain: HR directors have less and less influence on companies’ strategic decisions
HR directors are losing power when it comes to firms' management and strategic decisions, according to a study conducted by the ESADE institute in Barcelona. The study found that HR directors do...
Great Britain: 1 in 5 workers says he/she is victim of harassment at work
One in five British workers has been victim of harassment or persecution at work during the last two years, according to an investigation of the Chartered Institute of Personal and Development...
Deutsche Telekom: 45 000 T-Com employees will be transferred to the new T-Service unit
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has just announced its intention to transfer some 45 000 employees of T-Com to its new subsidiary T-Service, with the aim to bring back salaries to a competitive level. DT...
Germany : BenQ’s bankruptcy affects its outside contractors
The bankruptcy of the cell phone producer BenQ (ex-Siemens), means the loss of 1900 jobs out of 3000. The outside contractors are also affected and are starting to lay off. IG Metall says 6000...
Germany: retirement at 67 years old takes form
The big coalition in power has set, on October 24th, 2006, the details of its retirement reform, which provides for a gradual increase of the legal retirement age from 65 to 67 years old between...
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1
United Kingdom: government launches consultation on AI and data protection rules
L’info. Le gouvernement britannique a lancé, du 15 juillet au 9 septembre 2026, une consultation afin d’identifier les dispositifs juridiques, techniques et de gouvernance...
28 August 2026
2
EU: social partners set out position on guidelines for the sustainability due diligence directive
The news. Following the final adoption of the omnibus directive in February, the European Commission launched a consultation in June aimed at guiding it in drafting guidelines on the application...
28 August 2026
3
Import bans on forced labor products are multiplying
Under pressure from new US tariffs, many countries have presented texts in recent weeks to ban the import of products made with forced labor. A real breakthrough for workers' rights or a mere...
9 September 2026
4
Canada: a sustainability due diligence proposal on forced labour submitted for consultation
The facts. On July 27, the Canadian government launched a consultation to introduce mandatory corporate due diligence measures regarding forced labor. It plans to require risk identification, the...
25 August 2026
5
Germany: a “simplification” proposal for the Corporate Governance Code
In early August, the Government Commission presented proposals to reform the Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex (DCGK), Germany’s Corporate Governance Code. The proposals are primarily aimed at...
31 August 2026
6
Slovakia: a bill to “clarify” personal data protection measures
The news. The Slovak government approved a bill on personal data protection on August 26, 2026. This text aims to clarify existing regulations regarding employees’ rights and...
7 September 2026