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: early retirement under fire
Early retirement is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. However, more and more often, people who opt for this scheme then go on to receive benefits designed to keep older people in work...
Germany: two collective agreements for temporary work sector merge
The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the General Association of Personnel Service Providers (GVP) have signed a new joint collective agreement for the temporary work sector, which...
19 June 2025
Austria: spring collective bargaining ends with pay rises from 2.65% to 3.05%
Led by Austria's two major trade unions PRO GE (industry) and GPA (private sector employees in all sectors), the 2025 spring negotiations were marked by more aggressive demands and, above all, a...
12 June 2025
Germany: Volkswagen creates new structures to accelerate job cuts
With at least 20,000 early departures already confirmed, Volkswagen's plan to reduce its German workforce appears to be on schedule. However, the extensive restructuring at Europe's leading car...
10 June 2025
Germany: IG Metall shelves four-day week demand
As the new government's stance in favour of greater flexibility and longer working hours for German workers fuels a growing debate, the IG Metall trade union has announced that it is shelving its...
28 May 2025
Germany: debate over working time reform gains momentum
The coalition agreement signed by Germany's conservative CDU/CSU and social democratic SPD parties provides for the abolition of the eight-hour working day in favour of a maximum weekly working...
26 May 2025
Germany: labour court hands down ruling on retention of stock option rights after resignation
The German Federal Labour Court (BAG) has decided that employees retain their rights to all options already exercised after resigning, in a ruling handed down on 19 March. Applicable retroactively...
15 May 2025
SAP significantly waters down diversity programme
In response to US President Donald Trump's executive order to abolish diversity policies, the German business software leader has announced that it is scrapping its target of 40% women in its...
Germany: four-day week niche and unpopular, German Economic Institute finds (study)
Between March and May 2024, the German Economic Institute (IW) surveyed human resources managers from 823 companies of all sizes and across all sectors on the topic of the four-day week with...
25 April 2025
Germany: future coalition wants to abolish due diligence law pending the European directive
The partners in the future German government (CDU/CSU and SPD) have agreed to repeal the national supply chain due diligence act (LkSG), as revealed in their coalition agreement presented on 9...
Germany: government programme of upcoming coalition gives prominence to labour matters
On 9 April, at the end of four weeks of negotiations, Germany's conservative (CDU and CSU) and social democratic (SPD) parties presented a government programme that sets out the guidelines for...
14 April 2025
Austria: gradual retirement remains under threat
Last week, Austrian social affairs minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) announced in the media that part-time working for seniors (Altersteilzeit), also known as “gradual retirement”...
- HR
- CSR
- News brief
7 April 2025
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
France: following the post-Covid boom, large companies scale back on remote working
In the post-pandemic context, large French groups multiplied generous remote working agreements before reversing the trend from 2024 onwards. What is the extent of this phenomenon? mind RH...
29 October 2026
2
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
3
France: National Assembly votes for mandatory bargaining on sexual and gender-based violence
The news. On 8 October, French MPs voted to extend the scope of mandatory annual negotiations to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In practice, in addition to pay, working hours and...
9 October 2026
4
France: Iliad structures its skills management around AI
The news. On 9 April, Iliad (11,600 employees in France), the parent company of telecoms operator Free, concluded an agreement on jobs and career path management with its representative trade...
21 October 2026
5
France: how CDC Habitat aims to better promote the expertise of its employees
The housing division of the French public group Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, CDC Habitat (10,800 employees), established new measures on skills in July. They are set out in two agreements...
15 October 2026
6
France: La Poste strengthens regional management of jobs and skills
La Poste’s 2026-2028 agreement on the management of jobs, professional pathways and gender diversity in occupations puts the emphasis on supporting mobility and career changes, relying on a...
22 October 2026