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: 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...
Germany: what impact will the return of military service and efforts to boost reserve forces have on businesses?
Germany wants to significantly increase its military personnel to bolster its ability to defend itself. This push will involve reintroducing military service, either voluntary or compulsory, and...
3 July 2025
Germany: minimum wage to rise by 14% over two years
On 26 June, the German minimum wage commission published its proposal on adjustments for the next two years. It calls for raising the minimum wage to €13.90 gross per hour on 1 January 2026...
1 July 2025
Austria: major pension system reform proposed
On 18 June, the leaders of the parliamentary groups of Austria's governing parties (conservatives, social democrats and liberals) announced the broad outlines of a pension reform plan. The planned...
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...
- HR
- CSR
- News brief
19 October 2026