Spain: reactions to the decree-law reforming the labor market
Growing union mobilization.  Unions immediately openly rejected the labor reform the government adopted on February 10 (see our dispatch No.  120100) and called for protest demonstrations across...
Germany: demographic ageing at the heart of the coming collective negotiations in the chemical industry
6 percent wage increase.  IG BCE leader Michael Vassiliadis says that the high wage increase called for by his union is completely justified because of the flourishing economic situation in the...
Austria: energy sector avoids a strike and negotiates an increase up to 4.2 percent
The 21,000 employees in the energy sector won’t have to take their banners out to defned their wage increase.  While, on Monday, February 13, the preparations for two days of protest were in full...
Spain: new savings bank collective agreement sets framework for the expected restructurings in the sector
ACARL, the employers’ association of savings banks, and the sector’s majority unions (Comfia-CCOO, FeS-UGT, the Confederation of Independent Savings Bank Unions – CSICA, the Confederation of...
Greece: pay-related measures of the new austerity program
First, special measures on the definition of wages will prompt the payment of financial aid. 
Austria: call for strike after energy negotiations failed
Two days of protest.  Temperatures are going up and therefore risks of blackouts are decreasing just in time as the Pro-GE and GPA-dip unions, in charge of collective bargaining in the energy...
Denmark: manufacturing social partners sign agreement renewing the collective agreement
“With this agreement, production stays in Denmark (…).  We would have liked more but the key for us and our members is that manufacturing jobs in the Danish industry have a future” declared Dansk...
Great Britain: Apprenticeship Week confirms the government’s strategy
Government commitment.  The Apprenticeship Week launched by Business Minister Vince Cable mobilized a certain number of businesses, industrial federations, universities and training centers.  Over...
13 February 2012
Romania: Electrolux employees on strike for two weeks
Conflict over the signature of a collective agreement.  Since January 24, the Romanian household appliance manufacturing plant owned by the Swedish group has been paralyzed.  Why?  Because 850...
Italy: Maschio Gaspardo Group signs agreement safeguarding jobs for the next three years
“We decided to reward our employees’ loyalty and commitment because, as our traditional slogan says, ‘Together Wins.’”  This is how Egidio Maschio, CEO and co-founder of Maschio Gaspardo*...
EU: first meeting of UNI-Europa’s EWC coordinator network
The coordinators’ role.  UNI-Europa’s EWC coordinator network is taking shape.  The idea isn’t new; for year, the federation has been willing to encourage exchanges between its representatives...
9 February 2012
Italy: Hewlett Packard Italiana signs new company agreement, 25 years after the last one
Workers unanimously approved the agreement, which will be in force between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014.  Here are the key provisions. 
Italy: Banco Popolare introduces sabbatical to combine cost cutting and work-life balance requirements
This “agreement is particularly innovative because it combines banks’ need to save money and workers’ private demands.”  This is what Fabi’s Banco Popolare coordination said to define the...
8 February 2012
Germany: for the first time, the IG-Metall plans to put agency workers on strike
“Sectoral bonuses” for agency workers in the metal industry.  “We now represent agency workers on many sites (…).  Thus, in the spring, there will be a few actions involving temporary workers...
Spain: the social partners adjust the public system for out-of-court dispute settlement to new collective bargaining stakes
The agreement signed on February 7 aims to improve the role and intervention capability of the public mediation and arbitration system (SIMA), introduced at national level via an interconfederal...
Germany: researchers warn against the limitations of work-study training
The two sides of work-study training.  Work-study training, where theoretical training in a professional school is combined with practical training in a company for two to three years, is one of...
7 February 2012
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
Germany: standoff over national plan to boost collective bargaining
Under the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive, Germany is required to produce an action plan to boost collective bargaining coverage. That plan has stalled, however, after being blocked by the...
9 February 2026
5
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...
6
ENI incorporates just transition and AI into global agreement
On 13 January, Italian energy group ENI renewed its global agreement on international industrial relations, corporate social responsibility and the just transition with Italian unions CGIL, CISL...
5 February 2026