Austria: union concentration goes on with the creation of “pro.ge”, a “production union”
metalworkers’ union (GMTN), the chemistry union (GdC) and wood and building workers’ union (GBH), the “pro.ge” interunion alliance is going to become a full-fledged union...
General Motors Europe: toward the creation of an independent European structure?
restructuring plan of General Motors (GM) on the verge of bankruptcy, to the American government, the management of the European subsidiary, General Motors Europe, and the European Works Council...
Spain: the social partners denounce the void of the integral support plan for the automotive sector
zation regret the lack of content of a plan prepared by the Ministry of Industry without consulting the major role players of the auto sector. They think that this plan won’t help the sector...
Italy: questions and possible consequences of the reform of the conventional system
The major feeling after the signature of the separate agreement, and the series of declarations which followed, praising its modernism or flaying the union divide it created, is that the coup on...
Bosch: the European trade union coordination group of the brakes division mobilizes to anticipate coming restructurings
of Bosch brakes division, affiliated with the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) organized, on Monday, February 16, a European day of action. This initiative was aimed at...
Italy: controversy over joining the general strike organized by the iron and steel workers and civil service of the CGIL
ganized by the Fiom and the public service of the CGIL has received, according to the Fiom, an average 70% backing in the iron and steel industry. However, the employers’ association...
Germany: the Bundesrat introduces minimum wage in six more sectors
the Bundesrat – the Federal Council – agreed, on February 13, 2009, to establish minimum wage in six sectors with about 1.2 million employees. This vote ends a very controversial...
Italy: the Cub, Cobas and SDL independent unions consolidate their march toward unity
The “basic pact”. The three organizations decided to proceed further with the “permanent consultative pact” negotiated in May 2008 by a new “basic pact”, which retains the content and goals while...
Lithuania: demonstrations against rising unemployment force government to open social dialogue
e crisis. As for the other two “Baltic tigers”, the economic slowdown was slightly felt as early as late 2006, together with strong inflation. After prosperous years, the country faces...
Renault: EWC expresses solidarity with Spanish workers
results for 2008, a delegation of Spanish employees went to Paris to express concern over their job’s future. The French car manufacturer’s EWC supported this approach in a...
Germany: investment bankers at the Dresdner Kleinwort to press charges to get their bonus
essed a around €1 billion in their unit in 2008 – the managers of the Dresdner Kleinwort investment bank – a subsidiary of Dresdner Bank, bought by the Commerzbank in January...
12 February 2009
Areva: evaluation of the European project on the development of social dialogue via the framework agreement on equal opportunities
e ODEO (“Open dialogue through equal opportunities”) project, which includes Areva’s EWC bureau and management representatives, presented its final report to the European...
Poland: statutes of the new Confederation of Metalworkers’ Unions published
The Confederation of Metalworkers' Unions, created on January 7 (see our dispatch No. 090038) published its statutes, formalizing this inter-union structure, aimed at representing member...
Netherlands: interview with professor Kees Cools on managers’ pay
It did not reach a consensus for three reasons. First of all, we would have been the first and only country in the world to accept such a general standard. And then we would have taken the risk of...
11 February 2009
Italy: bill reforming the right to strike in essential public services presented to unions
eshold for unions calling for a strike, prior declaration of individual participation to the strike, sanctions for those violating standards and a possible obligation to carry out a...
Germany: conflict in the metal sector after a wage increase was postponed because of the crisis
r and sales in the automotive industry, the Gesamtmetall, the employers’ organization of the metallurgy sector, announced that the sector’s companies want a major delay of the second...
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...