Thomas Schnee
Correspondent in GermanyAs a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.
Expertise
As a correspondent in Berlin for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business world and labour market. My areas of interest include co-management, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.
Most read articles by Thomas Schnee
Germany: Employers’ representatives seek to limit the rights of works councils
The Employers' Federation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände - BDA) published a report at the end of September in which it proposes a...
8 October 2026
Is a global wage freeze at Volkswagen possible?
The existence of an option to implement a global wage freeze until 2030 has been confirmed by the management of the German group Volkswagen, which nevertheless provides no details and refers to...
20 October 2026
Germany: a negotiation timetable and the prospect of industrial action at Volkswagen
The news. On 23 October, the German carmaker Volkswagen and the trade union IG Metall announced the opening of negotiations on wages, the new cost-cutting programme and job cuts. They will take...
27 October 2026
Germany: non-EU recruitment remains marginal despite skilled immigration reform
The news. Nearly a year and a half after the entry into force of the “Skilled Immigration Development Act”, only 4% of businesses have recruited at least one employee directly from a...
28 October 2026
Latest articles by Thomas Schnee
Germany: non-EU recruitment remains marginal despite skilled immigration reform
The news. Nearly a year and a half after the entry into force of the “Skilled Immigration Development Act”, only 4% of businesses have recruited at least one employee directly from a...
28 October 2026
Germany: a negotiation timetable and the prospect of industrial action at Volkswagen
The news. On 23 October, the German carmaker Volkswagen and the trade union IG Metall announced the opening of negotiations on wages, the new cost-cutting programme and job cuts. They will take...
27 October 2026
Is a global wage freeze at Volkswagen possible?
The existence of an option to implement a global wage freeze until 2030 has been confirmed by the management of the German group Volkswagen, which nevertheless provides no details and refers to...
20 October 2026
Germany: sharp rise in contributions on “minijobs” as of 1 January 2027
The news. Friedrich Merz’s German Conservative-Social Democrat coalition has, for now, ruled out the outright abolition of “minijobs”—those part-time jobs paying less than...
16 October 2026
Germany: Will the unexpected change of Labour Minister slow down reforms?
The news. Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas (SPD) resigned on Monday 12 October with immediate effect. The reason given was the loss of a close relative. Alexander...
15 October 2026
Germany: Employers’ representatives seek to limit the rights of works councils
The Employers' Federation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände - BDA) published a report at the end of September in which it proposes a...
8 October 2026
Germany: Tesla pay rise amid trade union tension
The news. Tesla has just announced a 4% to 5% wage increase, effective from 1 October for the 12,000 employees at its German plant in Grünheide (Brandenburg). The pay rise comes just before...
2 October 2026
Germany: Volkswagen cancels almost all collective bargaining agreements signed with IG Metall
The Volkswagen brand announced on 30 September that it is terminating 10 of its 13 internal collective bargaining agreements, effective 31 December 2026. The announcement, which the carmaker...
1 October 2026
Austria: metallurgy confirms its 2025‑2026 crisis agreement with a moderate pay rise
The news. The social partners in the Austrian metallurgy sector signed a two-year crisis agreement in 2025. This provided for a mid-term review of the situation. This was carried out on 22...
28 September 2026
Austria: National Council adopts tax bonus for post-retirement work
The News. The Austrian National Council (lower house of parliament) passed an active retirement law (Aktivpension) on 23 September. The text introduces a tax allowance of up to €1,250 per...
24 September 2026
Germany: IG Metall demands 5% pay rise amid severe pressure
Despite the crisis hitting the automotive industry, the leadership of the German trade union IG Metall announced on Wednesday 23 September that it would be asking for a 5% pay increase as well as...
23 September 2026
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
EU: several social texts promised for 2027
The news. On 4 November, the European Commission presented its work programme for 2027. While the focus is once again on simplification, several social texts have been announced. The European...
4 November 2026
France: a bill by the end of the year to transpose the European directive on platform workers
The qualified experts appointed by the French government in the framework of transposing the Directive on Platform Workers submitted their report on 2 November. It paves the way for a bill by the...
4 November 2026
EU: Council curbs the Commission’s proposed easing of social safeguards in digital legislation
The news. On 21 October 2026, the Council of the EU agreed its negotiating mandate on the Digital Omnibus, proposed by the Commission in November 2025 to ease several provisions in digital...
3 November 2026
Croatia: 7.6% minimum wage increase from 1 January 2027
The news. On 29 October, the Croatian Council of Ministers adopted a decree setting the minimum wage for 2027. This will rise from €1,050 to €1,130 gross per month from 1 January next...
3 November 2026
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
Living wage still struggles to align with social dialogue (study)
As part of its summer school on social dialogue, the ILO commissioned a study on the living wage. This concept, which takes workers' needs into account when determining wage levels and which major...
2
EU: Commission to launch a business coalition against modern slavery
The news. On 16 October, the European Commission presented a new strategy to combat human trafficking. While labour exploitation reported by the authorities rose by 17% between 2021-2022 and...
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19 October 2026