International: the UN adopts guidelines on businesses respecting Human Rights
Guidelines.  Laid down in a report presented to the Human Rights Council last year (see our dispatch No.  100370), these new international standards follow three principles, “Protect, Respect and...
4 July 2011
OECD: guidelines for multinational enterprises updated
New context.  Started in June 2010 (see our dispatch No.  100374), the negotiations to update the OECD’s guidelines truly started in October.  In April, the representatives from 42 governments...
26 May 2011
Spain: Telefónica shareholder pension schemes demand more socially responsible corporate policy
A first.  It’s the first time a Spanish pension fund has spoken this way, Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) wrote in a press release, pointing to the growing importance of socially responsible...
25 May 2011
Germany: ArcelorMittal Eisenhüttenstadt provides “children’s hotel” open 24/7 to its employees
Declining birth rates.  According to Jürgen Peschel, in charge of training apprentices within the company’s professional school on the one hand, and of work-life balance on the other...
19 May 2011
Germany: employees’ productivity keeps increasing with age (Study)
11,000 employees followed for three years.  To carry out the study entitled “Productivity and age: Evidence from work teams at the assembly line”(see the full version in English below), the MEA’s...
11 May 2011
United States: UWUA union wants to talk environment with GDF Suez
Usually, unionists, especially in the US, restrict themselves to industrial relations in the company, but “we are extremely devoted to green issues” declared Mark Brooks, UWUA representative in...
5 April 2011
EU: European Commission publishes guide for the procurement of socially responsible contracts
In its document, the Commission reminds that public authorities are major consumers, spending some 17 % of the EU’s GDP, i.e. half the GDP of Germany.  Hence the need to make them major...
31 January 2011
Italy: memorandum of understanding between banks, businesses and the Ministry of Economic Development to promote the CSR culture
Dialogue first.  Born from “awareness that durability can help maintain the country’s economic and social fabric, promote trust into the market and speed up the recovery,” the memorandum aims to...
27 January 2011
Denmark: report on the evolution of businesses’ social commitment in a crisis situation
The crisis influences social commitment. While, in 2007, 35% of employees said that colleagues with reduced capacities kept their job, this rate dropped to 29% in 2009.  Meanwhile those who say...
7 December 2010
Netherlands: “inspiration book” on everyday ecology on workplaces
The inspiration book (“inspiratieboek”) for “sustainable work” published by the FNV in mid-November is presented under the form of a small treaty on ecology at work. It is the result ff a...
24 November 2010
Italy: pharmaceutical-chemistry social partners reach national agreement on CSR guidelines
Federchimica and Farmindustria for employers and Filctem-CGIL, Femca-Cisl and Uilcem-Uil for unions (which signed the CCN in pharmaceutical-chemistry) signed, on November 18th in Milan, within the...
22 November 2010
EU: guide on socially responsible procurement of public contracts
In its document, the Commission reminds that public authorities are major consumers, spending some 17 % of the EU’s GDP, i.e. half the GDP of Germany.  Hence the need to make them major...
Germany: first representative study to look at measures increasing older workers’ productivity
German lab.  Since demographic ageing is more significant in Germany than for its neighbors, the businesses of the top European economy have become true labs on the employment of older workers. ...
Germany: federal government launches “national action plan for corporate social responsibility”
Make CSR a characteristic of the German economy.  “Successful companies don’t grow on trees.  In the network world of the 21st century, businesses can no longer afford short-term strategies. ...
11 October 2010
H&M: Swedish clothing line sets up a global financial bonus system to increase employees’ commitment
Special fund for a special financial incentive system.  H&M, the Swedish group, markets clothes and cosmetics in about 2,000 stores in 37 countries.  It has about 76,000 collaborators and, in...
27 September 2010
Corporate practices: Nordea Finans, the first bank to get the Swedish health label
Give workplaces health certifications. The idea of giving businesses health certifications dates back to 2003 and came from the leader of SEKO (sectoral union in services and communication), Janne...
29 June 2010
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.
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EU: Commission proposes loosening of AI regulations
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EU: list of new CSRD reporting standards finalised
On 4 December, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) presented the revised list of reporting indicators under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which...
5 December 2025
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EU: co-legislators strike agreement on Omnibus Directive
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EU: Parliament formally adopts omnibus, diluting due diligence rules
On 16 December, the European Parliament formally approved the omnibus package amending the EU corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence directives. Their application has been pushed...
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Italy: three executives from luxury goods group Tod’s investigated over worker exploitation
Italian authorities are once again turning their attention to working conditions in the luxury goods supply chain. On 20 November, the Milan public prosecutor charged three senior executives of...
28 November 2025
6
Fashion brands accused of violating trade union freedoms in Asia
On 27 November, Amnesty International released a report denouncing widespread violations of trade union freedoms in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka by both governments and suppliers to...
28 November 2025