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
Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”
In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...
21 January 2026
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
15 January 2026
Germany: Chancellor prepares ground for working time law reform
Since mid-January 2026, senior figures in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have reopened debate over Germany’s working time legislation. The party’s...
26 January 2026
Latest articles by Thomas Schnee
Germany: IG Metall-Tesla conflict intensifies over policy to combat absenteeism
The management at Tesla's German Gigafactory is increasing pressure on its employees amid an exceptionally high rate of absenteeism. It is doing so with the support of 'Faction 23', a majority...
19 September 2025
Germany: will the upcoming ‘active retirement’ scheme be a financial drain with little impact on the pool of skilled labour?
Carsten Linnemann, general secretary of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), confirmed once again in mid-August the governing parties’ intention to introduce two new schemes...
- HR
- CSR
- News brief
15 September 2025
Germany: Polish employees at Tesla factory get organised
Polish employees at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin announced at the end of August their intention to present their own list for the forthcoming works council elections...
9 September 2025
Germany: bill to bolster occupational pensions published
Germany has finally unveiled a long-awaited draft law designed to bolster workplace pensions. Published at the end of July, the 'second law to strengthen occupational pension schemes' was drawn up...
- HR
- News
8 September 2025
Germany: cabinet heavily waters down due diligence law
As outlined in the coalition programme agreed in April 2025, the German cabinet on 3 September approved a significantly watered-down version of the country's Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)...
Germany: 10 years on from the great ‘wave’, the integration of refugees into the labour market is largely working
A decade on from Angela Merkel's 'Wir schaffen das' ('we can do this') speech on 31 August 2015, in the face of a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Germany, researchers and...
2 September 2025
Germany: government approves bill tying public contracts to collective agreement adherence
On 6 August, Germany’s Federal Cabinet approved a draft law that would require companies bidding for public contracts to comply with sectoral collective agreements. The measure is intended to...
29 August 2025
Austria: conservatives open debate on curbing part-time work
Austria’s economic pressures and a shortage of skilled workers have prompted business leaders and conservatives to urge people to put in longer hours. Yet nearly a third of the workforce is now...
27 August 2025
Germany: summer debate over raising the retirement age
The summer debate in Germany's domestic political scene focused on the financing of the German social security system and the retirement age. Following the lead of some economists, the country's...
25 August 2025
Germany: a quarter of young people favour working for minimum wage over training
The Bertelsmann Foundation, one of Germany's leading think tanks, has published its annual study on prospects in the youth apprenticeship and training sector. The analysis reveals a worrying...
21 July 2025
Austria: Federal Council gives final green light to new partial retirement scheme
On 17 July 2025, the Austrian Federal Council (Bundesrat) adopted the bill introducing the new partial retirement scheme by a two-thirds majority. This vote, which follows approval by the lower...
- HR
- CSR
- News brief
21 July 2025
Germany: interest in diversity is declining, and not just because of Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policy
The US President's executive order and pressure over companies' diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programmes are continuing to have an impact on Germany's major multinationals. This time it...
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
2026 TRENDS — Social dialogue, a major challenge in the deployment of AI in companies
mind RH is analysing the trends that will shape 2026. Artificial intelligence is emerging as a force that goes far beyond efficiency gains and productivity improvements. It is reshaping tasks...
4 February 2026
The major trends of 2026
New regulations coming into force, economic uncertainty, evolving skills requirements… More than ever, the HR function will play a strategic role within organizations in 2026. mind HR...
3 February 2026
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 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
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
15 January 2026
2
France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
20 January 2026
3
EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
23 January 2026
4
Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...
16 January 2026