Italy: bargaining for the collective agreement at Fiat comes up against the crisis which leads to the closing of all sites for partial unemployment
The first meeting for the renewal of the company agreement of the group Fiat (see our dispatch No. 080805) was held in Turin on December 16, 2008. This is the first time such negotiations took...
Air France-KLM: interview with Gehan Colliander, former general secretary of the European works council
European works council, Gehan Colliander, left at the end of 2008. She goes back over the way the council managed to work from the two models of social relations – French and Dutch –...
Italy: almost a million and a half took part in the national strike organized by the CGIL
The CGIL is satisfied with the mobilization it launched against the government's economic policy to face the crisis. However, the government, employers and its rival union federation, the Cisl...
Netherlands: the Frijns Commission disappoints unions regarding managers’ pay
The Frijns Commission, in charge of monitoring compliance with businesses' compliance with the "Tabaksblat" code of good behavior, presented its final recommendations on December 12, 2008. The one...
Netherlands: unions want a 3.5% wage increase in 2009
The largest Dutch union, the Dutch Trade Union Federation (FNV) decided to maintain in 3.5% wage claim for 2009, despite the crisis. In doing so, it rejected the calls made by Maria van der...
Slovakia: businesses prepare to introduce euro
Preparation is underway in Slovakia for the introduction of the Euro. Indeed, on January 1, 2009 Slovakia becomes the 16th country to join the European Union's common currency. New acts have been...
Spain: stakes of the 9th congress of the Workers’ Commission union (CCOO) to be held in Madrid on December 17-20
Two applicants. José Maria Fidalgo defends his report and the negotiating capacity of the CCOO, which established itself as the country’s main union force, before the UGT, the other large...
Germany: evaluation of collective agreements in 2008 and prospects for 2009
The Economic and Social Institute (WSI) and the Hans Blocker Foundation - German unions' think tank" - drew the first conclusions of the collective agreements signed in 2008. In terms of...
Italy: report on labor transformations
More social conflicts, increase of atypical labor, unemployment and female employment: these are the main labor changes brought forward by the 42nd report of the "Censis" research institute...
Mexico: increasing number of underemployed skilled workers
Labor market statistics show that 7% of Mexican workers are looking for a second job. Among skilled workers, who have an average or upper education level, the number of "underemployed" increased...
United States: auto bailout leads to trial of strength
The State to the rescue. This amount would be taken – as loans spread on 7 years – from a $25 billion fund created in September to improve gas consumption standards in the automobile industry...
9 December 2008
Portugal: the VW Autoeuropa factory adopts a new company agreement to maintain employment
The management and workers of the Autoeuropa de Palmela automotive assembly plant adopted a new company agreement which will be in force until the end of 2011. Renegotiated during the crisis, the...
Spain: Michelin’s management and unions sign an agreement avoiding job cuts
The inter-center works council and the management of Michelin Spain signed an "exceptional framework agreement 2009" to cope with the bad economic prospects and adapt production to market needs...
China: analysis of the new labor dispute law and its impact after six months of its application
The law on mediation and arbitration of labor disputes, adopted on December 29, 2007, entered into force on May 1, 2008, and brought about major changes to the previous mechanism for settling...
Great Britain: TUC demands additional measures for the respect of minimum wage
The UK's Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Low Pay Commission (LPC) - which is going to issue recommendations to the government in early 2009 - to propose new measures to improve the...
Germany: the train drivers’ union (GDL) demands a 6.5% wage increase
The three train drivers' unions - Transnet, GDBA and the GDL - presented to the Deutsche Bahn, on December 1, 2008, in Berlin, their official claims before the opening of the renegotiation 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
France: Bayer puts female health and inclusive parenthood at the centre of its equality policy
In a new agreement on gender equality highlighted by mind RH, Bayer commits to strengthening its parenthood policy. Furthermore, the company is anticipating pay transparency and introducing...
25 September 2026
2
Germany: Volkswagen cancels almost all collective bargaining agreements signed with IG Metall
The Volkswagen brand announced on 30 September that it is terminating 10 of its 13 internal collective bargaining agreements, effective 31 December 2026. The announcement, which the carmaker...
1 October 2026
3
France: final document on the work of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference
After six months of discussions between French social partners, the guarantors of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference submitted the conclusions of the discussions to the Prime Minister...
17 September 2026
4
Germany: Employers’ representatives seek to limit the rights of works councils
The Employers' Federation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände - BDA) published a report at the end of September in which it proposes a...
5
Germany: working time dispute between Mercedes and the IG Metall Union
The news. At the beginning of September, Mercedes-Benz asked employee representatives and the IG Metall union to agree to an increase in the weekly working time from 35 to 40 hours, without any...
16 September 2026
6
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026