Germany: GDL union demands collective agreement for all train drivers
DB wages for all train drivers. Gerda Seibert, GDL spokeswoman, told Planet Labor that the union’s stance was based on a simple observation: train drivers attended the same training and perform...
Denmark: TIB members vote yes to the merger between TIB and 3F
65.6% for the merger, 34.1% against – this is the outcome of the referendum on the merger between TIB and 3F (see our dispatch No. 100349), where only 30% of TIB members voted. In spite of this...
Spain: no agreement on labor market reform in spite of extended negotiations
The government’s proposals to reach a compromise. Talks went on after May 31st, the deadline set by the government for the social partners to agree on a consensual agreement for the labor market...
Italy: CGIL launches a general strike on June 25th against the government’s economic maneuver
The CGIL’s executive committee, gathered in Rome on June 7-9, unanimously approved the proposal made by general secretary Gugliemo Epifani to organize a general strike on June 25th, “for at least...
Germany: new banking collective agreement focuses on worsening working conditions since the beginning of crisis
Marginal wage increase. The agreement reached on Wednesday night (June 9), between Verdi’s negotiators (which represents 240,000 members in the sector) and the negotiators of the AGV Banken, the...
Netherlands: FNV explains why its supports the pension reform to its members
The agreement signed on June 4th in The Hague about the pension reform between employers and unions (see our dispatch No. 100454), five days to the legislative elections, angered the FNV’s...
Germany: majority unions and employers demand a law to limit the influence of small corporatist unions
Avoid endless strikes. The principle of “tariff unity” (“one company, one collective agreement”) which prevents competition between conflicting collective agreements for a single group of...
Denmark: unions mobilized against unemployment insurance reform
The government’s parties (Det Konservative Folkeparti and Venstre) and the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) signed, on may 25th, an “agreement for the recovery of the Danish economy” aimed...
Great Britain: picture of British unionism
Thus, the number of members fell from 6.878 million in 2008 to 6.715 million in 2009, continuing the fall from the previous high of 7.115 million in 2003. The number of members fell continuously...
Italy: two new unitary agreements for the renewal of CCNs in textile and heat and sound proofing
The textile CCN. On May 21st, the Filctem, Femca Cisl and Uilta-Uil signed, with the Sistema Moda Italia (SMI), a unitary agreement for the renewal of the CCN in textile and clothing, which...
Italy: Fiom CGIL elects new general secretary
A very moved central committee welcomed the departure of Gianni Rinaldini, who was at the head of the Fiom since 2002, and whose term expired (the status limits this job to two terms, a maximum of...
Sweden: agreement on temporary work to combat social dumping
Working conditions that respect private life better. The agreement will apply from May 1, 2010 until April 30, 2012. It provides for a monthly wage increase of SEK 425 (€44.5) on August 1, 2010...
Germany: Schlecker hardware stores get in line with the tariffs contained in retail collective agreements for all employees
Wage dumping decried by Verdi. The collective agreements signed on June 1st between Schlecker and Verdi are a new step in the union’s victories on the hardware store chain. It already got the...
Greece: new turbulent social week
Severity program. The insurance bill should be introduced in Parliament some time in June, early July at the latest. Indeed, the Prime Minister wants this issue settled before the fall with the...
Opel: management and unions sign European restructuring plan
Compensatory guarantees for the German sites. According to Klaus Franz, chairman of Opel’s central WC and of the EWC, a majority of Opel’s European trade unions signed, on May 31st, Opel’s...
Great Britain: forthcoming elections for the general secretaries of the two biggest unions in Britian, Unite and Unison
Both the general secretary positions in Unite, with 1.4 million members, and Unison, with 1.2 million members, are up for re-election. Both unions are affiliated to the Labour Party and will have...
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...