Labour relations

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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

France: Acorus makes four-day week permanent

On 12 December, French construction and civil engineering group Acorus (approximately 1,800 employees) signed an agreement with representative trade unions on the implementation of a four-day...

28 January 2026

Inditex signs joint declaration with EWC on older workers

After mobilising in November against its management over value sharing, the European works council of the Inditex fashion group (162,000 employees worldwide) signed a joint declaration with the...

27 January 2026

Clariane’s European Works Council signs a charter on the group’s decarbonisation

On 20 November, Clariane’s European Works Council and its management signed a ‘Charter to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions’ for the group of retirement...

26 January 2026

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

France: Decathlon steps up support for carers in new disability agreement

Like Crédit Agricole, Decathlon signed a new disability agreement on 3 December 2025, covering a three-year period from 1 January, and for the first time without requiring formal approval...

19 January 2026

EU: banking sector social partners commit to combating violence and harassment

On 15 January, the trade union federation UNI Europa Finance and three employers’ associations in the banking sector signed a joint statement on preventing violence and harassment in the...

16 January 2026

Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit

The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...

15 January 2026

Italy: banking group Intesa Sanpaolo sharpens focus on quality of life at work

Over the Christmas period Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy's largest bank, penned with trade unions a deal to renew the first part of the company agreement, covering work-life balance, inclusion, parenthood...

14 January 2026

France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations

After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...

12 January 2026

Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills

A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...

5 January 2026

EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI

On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...

18 December 2025

Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement

Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...

12 December 2025

EU: revised EWC directive published in official journal

The revision of the European Works Councils Directive, adopted by the European Parliament on 9 October, was published on 11 December in the EU’s official journal. Initiated in early 2023 by...

11 December 2025

Germany: far-right-aligned ‘union’ sets sights on Volkswagen works councils

At next spring’s German works council elections, Zentrum – the 'alternative' union aligned with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party – will seek to strengthen its foothold in major...

9 December 2025

France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...

8 December 2025

Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”

On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...

3 December 2025

Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle

In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...

2 December 2025

Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining

On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...

2 December 2025

Italy: telecommunications sector introduces new measures to navigate major transformation

The agreement reached between Asstel, the employers’ association for Italy’s telecommunications sector, and the SLC-Cgil, Fistel-Cisl and Uilcom unions centres on strengthening labour relations to...

27 November 2025

Italy: new collective agreement for mechanical engineering and metalworking sectors focuses on defending purchasing power

The deal struck on 22 November between Italy’s social partners in the mechanical engineering and metalworking sector brings an end to a long and contentious bargaining process. The agreement –...

25 November 2025

Inditex European works council mobilises on value sharing

In a joint statement, 10 trade unions comprising the European works council of the Inditex clothing group are calling for rallies in Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany...

24 November 2025

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France: Crédit Agricole to tighten remote work rules

Crédit Agricole is to adopt stricter rules on remote work from mid-March onwards. The rules will be tightened for employees, but the maximum number of days working remotely will remain unchanged.

29 January 2026

France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...

8 December 2025

mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators

In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...

31 October 2025

Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”

Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...

20 October 2025

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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

Italy: collective agreement for rubber and plastics sector focuses on new skills

A month ahead of schedule, the Federazione Gomma Plastica employers' organisation and the Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec trade unions have renewed the collective agreement for the rubber and...

5 January 2026

Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit

The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...

15 January 2026

France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations

After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...

12 January 2026

EU: banking sector social partners commit to combating violence and harassment

On 15 January, the trade union federation UNI Europa Finance and three employers’ associations in the banking sector signed a joint statement on preventing violence and harassment in the...

16 January 2026