Spain: peers drive head of employers’ confederation to quit
Disputed management. Mr. Diaz Ferrán hoped to stay in position until the end of his term in 2013.  But it had become impossible to defend. He was increasingly openly questioned within the...
EU: Uni wants to promote ‘whistleblowing’ in businesses
Whistleblowing is more widespread in the UK and the US than it is in continental Europe. This practice consists in employees knowing about offenses, statutory violations or any hazard to health or...
4 October 2010
Italy: Lombardy launches apprenticeship replacing mandatory school training
A “reform with a very high cultural value,” is how the President of Lombardy, Roberto Formigoni, presented the apprenticeship agreement he signed on Monday, September 27th with the Minister of...
Germany: two of the three temporary employers’ organizations announce their merger
Merger in 2011. “It’s time temporary businesses joined forces. Consequently, the managements of our two federations unanimously decided to quickly launch the procedure for the AMP and BZA to...
Denmark: LO publishes “green paper” on nanotechnologies
Without trying to “prevent the development of nanotechnologies,” but making sure it won’t “damage the health and safety of present and future generations,” LO presented, last week, its “green...
1 October 2010
Sweden: different unions unite to write and publish school textbooks for high schoolers
Textbooks reflecting today’s reality.  The idea came from a study published by the Göteborg University that showed that labor-related issues were barely treated in school textbooks.  Meanwhile...
Germany: new steel collective agreement provides for a 3.6% increase and equal pay for agency workers
3.6% increase.  Obtained after warning strikes that mobilized over 15,000 employees, the agreement is a real pay improvement for the 85,000 workers of steel businesses in North Rhine-Westphalia...
EU: European Trade Union Confederation happy with European mobilization
On September 29th, tens of thousands of people answered the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)’s call.  From about thirty countries, they all marched in Brussels to protest against the...
30 September 2010
Italy: Fim and Uilm unions sign agreement allowing businesses to derogate from the metal national collective agreement
After less than two weeks of negotiations (see our dispatch No. 100608), the Fim and Uilm for unions and Federmeccanica and Assistal for employers signed, yesterday in Rome, at the Confindustria’s...
Spain: uneven turnout at the general strike
Complying with minimum service. Labor Minister Celestino Corbacho pointed out, in all its press interventions, that the day went by without any significant incidents and that the right to strikes...
Telekom Indonesia: the group signs a global framework agreement with Uni Global
Example.  With 105 million subscribers, Telekom Indonesia is currently the largest operator in Indonesia.  The semi-public company employs about 25,000 people, 22,000 of whom are union members. ...
Portugal: government stays on course with the EUR 500 minimum wage increases in 2011
Complying with the agreement.  After a meeting dedicated to the pending “Employment Pact,” Labor Minister Helena André confirmed that the Portuguese government intends to apply the increase of the...
Netherlands: new general secretary of the Federation of Christian Unions wants younger members
“If we don’t do anything, the CNV will be dead and gone within ten years.”  This is the rather unusual warning issued by Jaap Smit, who took the head of the CNV on June 1st after René Paas.  His...
Italy: CGIL research institute says workers’ buying power dropped by nearly EUR 5,500 between 2000 and 2010
“Real” drop.  The Ires’ 5th report, presented on September 27th in Rome, is explicitly entitled: “Wages in Italy in 2000-2010: a lost decade.”  It points out that, between 2001 and 2010, GDP...
EADS: new European agreement defining a framework for future transnational negotiations
Clearing by the EWC.  “To reinforce its integration and improve personnel representation, the EADS group must be able to define and implement transnational policies” reads the preamble of the...
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...