Germany: social partners set up “Retail Trade Council” to face demographic ageing via collective agreements
On February 11, the retail trade employers’ organization (HDE) and the Verdi services union announced a new “Retail Trade Council.”  It is in line with broader action launched in 2012 to prepare...
13 February 2014
Great Britain: GMB and Unite unions get compensation for poor housing and travel in return for the end of the dispute at the construction of a gas terminal in Shetland
A long-running dispute over standards of accommodation and travel to work at the construction of a gas terminal in Shetland has finally been resolved. Some 850 workers, members of the GMB and...
12 February 2014
Italy: after Fiom metalworkers’ federation denounces democratic shortfall, CGIL to consult members on the agreement on the “single representation text”
After a week characterized by an unprecedented conflict, in the press, between CGIL leader Susanna Camusso and Fiom leader Maurizio Landini, the former changed her mind and announced that all...
12 February 2014
Great Britain: a few examples of pay negotiations as the year starts
April 1 has always been the reference in terms of pay awards, often used as a starting point for the wage increases negotiated later in the year.  Therefore, this date often arrives after...
11 February 2014
Belgium: social partners agree on obligation to justify layoffs
On February 10, the social partners agreed on 4 cases, including the new system for justifying layoffs, harmonizing the pension scheme and the transfer towards a new price index.  The deal should...
11 February 2014
Great Britain: new system to help sick employees go back to work
Whereas more than 130 million days a year are ‘lost’ to sickness absence in Great Britain, the Cameron administration is starting a new battle to help sick workers get back to work.  Indeed...
11 February 2014
Denmark: manufacturing social partners sign agreement renewing the sector’s collective agreement
On February 9, Co-Indistri for unions and Dansk Industri for employers reached an agreement renewing the manufacturing collective agreement.  It is made up of 2 chapters: one for skilled/unskilled...
10 February 2014
Germany: the share of the lowest conventional wages went down last year
The introduction of minimum wage, which the Grand Coalition government wants to take place in 2017 at the latest, has helped bring the share of low wages in sectors covered by a collective...
10 February 2014
Switzerland: by saying “no to massive immigration,” Swiss citizens shake up relations with the EU and open up Pandora’s Box of quotas
Asked to a referendum to vote for or against limits to “massive immigration” on Sunday, February 9, 2014, 50.3 percent of Swiss citizens voted for this restriction and the reinstatement of...
10 February 2014
Italy: leather goods social partners strike deal renewing the sector’s national collective agreement
On February 4, the Fictem-CGIL, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec-Uil unions and the Italian Leather Manufacturers’ Association (AIMPES, affiliated with Confindustria) signed an agreement renewing the...
10 February 2014
Australia: Prime Minister wants to re-establish the Building and Construction Commission to moralize the sector
Union members are allegedly involved in cases of bribery, crime and fraud on Australian construction sites.  Because of these accusations, the Prime Minister wants to supervise the sector and...
7 February 2014
Metro signs a joint statement on fundamental social rights with UNI Global Union
On February 3, the retail group announced that it had signed a joint statement with UNI Global Union to reassert their cooperation and promote fair working conditions.
6 February 2014
Germany: 3.7 percent wage increase approved in collective agreement in the chemical industry
The first sectoral tariff agreement of 2014 was signed yesterday in the chemical industry.  After 9 regional negotiations and a first bargaining round in mid-January, the social partners agreed on...
6 February 2014
Russia: risks of social eruption in one-industry towns
The Russian government is afraid of political and social destabilization in one-industry towns, which are badly hit by the crisis.  The heirs of Soviet planned economy, they were built around...
6 February 2014
Great Britain: Labour Party leader Ed Miliband carries plan to reduce union influence in the party through
Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband, has won his battle to reduce union influence in the party following the announcement of his intended reforms last summer, in spite of last-minute attempts by the...
5 February 2014
United States: Volkswagen’s Chattanooga workers to vote on the establishment of the United Auto Workers next week, with the setting up of a German-style works council in the background
The 1,600 workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant in the south of the US are going to vote, on February 12-14, on whether they wish to be represented by the union.  If they vote yes...
5 February 2014
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
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...
2
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
3
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
4
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...
5
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
6
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...