International: American unions to the rescue of Molex’s French employees
Intervention at the shareholders’ GA. The two French Molex employees who wanted to speak at the general assembly of the American parent company, in Lisle, IL, on October 30, were turned back. This...
ArcelorMittal: European framework agreement on social dialog and anticipating change
We were the first to tell you about this negotiation (for the draft agreement and bargaining, see our dispatches No. 090718 and 090967). Concluded after five talk sessions with representatives...
Italy: beginning of negotiations for the renewal of the CCN in energy and oil
On October 21, Confindustria Energia and the Femca Cisl, Filcem CGIL and Uilcem Uil unions presented their respective claims for the renewal of the national collective agreement in the energy and...
Great Britain: second wave of strikes in the post after Royal Mail and unions talks failed
Failed talks. The three days of bargaining didn’t please Royal Mail’s unions. The company accused the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) of “walking away” as peace talks were making significant...
Germany: Verdi, IG Metall and IG BCE present conflicting wage claims for 2010
The IG-Metall mostly wants to maintain jobs. “The automotive industry, machine-tool manufacturers and their suppliers are battling with unprecedented drops in orders. The key priority is to...
Italy: new Cisl federation for agency, independent or atypical workers
Organize the universe of independent and atypical labor. The Cisl jointed its two federations, the Alai (atypical workers) and the Clacs (independent workers) into a singled federation, the Felsa...
Germany: BMW couples senior executives and workers’ wage increases
Herald Kruger, director of personnel at BMW, announced the news in an interview to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on October 24, 2009. The carmaker, which never drew attention with...
Germany: sectoral minimum wage introduced in industrial laundry and mining
100,000 employees in three sectors. Probably reassured by the declaration made by Angela Merkel who, in spite of the hesitation of her new liberal ally, promised that the system for the...
Slovakia: government increases minimum wage by 4.1% for 2010
The Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic (KOZ SR) justified its high claims by the need to reduce the gap between minimum wage and average wage (€721.40). It is also based on the...
Italy: unitary agreement for the renewal of the telecommunications’ collective contract
New unitary agreement. In spite of three different claim platforms, the Asstel employers’ association and the Fistel-Cisl, SLC-CGIL and Uilcom-Uil unions concluded, on October 23, a unitary...
Danone: European Works Council extended at global level
Official opening at global level. As the management of the French food company reminded in a press release published on October 21, the agreement establishing the ICC – Danone’s EWC – originally...
Sweden: government proposes to adjust industrial relations system to comply with EU law
Supervising collective action. In a decision rendered in December 2007 (Laval, see our dispatch No. 071034), the ECJ ruled that, in the case of posted workers, Swedish unions’ actions to...
China: surprising workforce shortage for the ‘made in china’
Orders are back but not workers. No answer to his job offers and no one to recruit at the city’s employment fair. Like his colleagues, Yang Zongfu can’t find workers to come work in his jean plant...
26 October 2009
Spain: temp social partners list eight recommendations to bargain for equality programs in the sector’s businesses
These eight recommendations, of a declarative value, were developed within the equal committee on best practices in terms of equality programs in the temporary sector. They have to characterize...
Portugal: Minister for Labor and Solidarity from a European trade union
European trade union leader. Maria Helena André was elected ETUC deputy general secretary in 2003, and reelected in 2007. She was notably in charge of European social dialog. The new Labor...
Italy: basic unions join forces but are still divided over the creation of a union confederation
“Fully successful” strike. This is how Pierpaolo Leonardi, national Rdb Cub coordinator, qualified the general 24-hour strike launched by basic unions – Rdb, Cub, Cobas and Sdl Intercategoriale...
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...