Netherlands: Shell’s shareholders revolt against bonuses
The revolt could get to pension funds. A group of shareholders united with the consultant firm RiskMetrics says that it is totally crazy for Shell not to respect its own regulations regarding...
Germany: Volkswagen’s staff representatives could be the main winners of the next meeting at VW-Porsche
Fighting to maintain the social model. Indeed, for over a year, they fought for VW to retain control over its destiny and to maintain Volkswagen’s “social model,” where few decisions can be made...
Poland: EDF’s employees demonstrate against restructuring program
Angry unions. However, EDF’s 23 unions unanimously rejected this restructuring program, judging that the 1,400 jobs concerned by it are threatened. Unions point out that 200 jobs have already been...
Finland: the merger of several industry unions member of the SAK confederation postponed of one year
The merger between several unions in the industry sector of the SAK confederation was launched in 2005. The creation of the new union, to be called TEAM, will start on May 10, during the congress...
Italy: Enel signs two protocols on industrial relations
When presenting the industrial plan and investment program 2009-11, Enel, the Italian energy group, signed with the CGIL, Cisl and Uil unions as well as their secotral units two agreements...
General Motors Europe: management terminates European framework agreement on working time reduction signed at Opel
vings program amounting to 1bn euros presented at Opel, GME’s management announced a cut in managers’ wages and terminated a framework agreement which provided, among others, that...
Poland: social partners to launch negotiations on the implementation of the European agreement on harassment and violence at work
The European framework agreement itself provides that it should be transposed into national law three years after its signature following the modalities and procedures chosen by the national...
GDF SUEZ: agreement establishing the new European works council signed
For better readability, the text of the dispatch has been attached in Word format.
EDF: new agreement on social responsibility about to be signed (English version attached)
Larger scope. The new agreement will have a larger scope than the previous one. The 2004 agreement only covered businesses where EDF held a majority of the capital. The 2009 agreement has a larger...
Sweden: the government votes against the bonuses of TeliaSonera and is criticized by the Finnish authorities
The Swedish decision follows the line prohibiting bonuses this year for all public firms as well as the negative vote of the Swedish State on bonuses in all firms with public participation. The...
Great Britain: 6% pay fall in 2008
In February 2009, average weekly pay was £459.10 (€515) – a 5.8% drop compared with the same period in 2008. The private sector is suffering the most, with a 7.7% wage drop. On the contrary, in...
Areva: interview of the members of the pilot committee of the ODEO project on the implementation of the European agreement on equal opportunities
In a review of the ODEO project (see our dispatch No. 090158) you make a certain number of observations on the results. What do you think are the main lessons you have learned?
Austria: trial of strength between the social partners on wage cut
blocked in seven branches with employers demanding more company agreements and a year with no or hardly any wage increases. At the same time certain firms, led by the Austro-Canadian car parts...
Germany : the Daimler board and central works council adopt a new employment pact
Significant concessions for workers. A month after starting their negotiations (see our dispatch n°090371), management and the central works council present to workers in extraordinary general...
United States : the UAW union accepts the agreement negotiated with Chrysler to save the company
On April 29, he members of the union consulted on the agreement negotiated by the UAW within the framework of the plan to save the firm had approved it (82% in production, 90% of clerical...
Belgium: end of fierce negotiations in metallurgy
s of intense negotiations, the memorandum of understanding of the metallic manufacturing sector will be applied throughout Belgium, in spite of the opposition of the FGTB’s regional union...
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...