Great Britain: companies which sign public contracts will have to inform their employees about access to training and union membership
On July 15, 2008, the government, the employers' confederation CBI and the Trade Union Confederation TUC, notably, signed an agreement to increase the workforce's skills in the public and the...
Italy: unions’ reactions to the decree-law on the Berlusconi government’s emergency measures
The Berlusconi government adopted a decree-law which contains measures for the economic development, the simplification, the competitiveness and the stabilization of public finances (see our...
Safran: establishment of a EWC after the Snecma-Sagem merger
The management of the French industrial group Safran (57.000 employees) and the special negotiating body signed, on July 4, 2007, an agreement for the establishment of a European works council in...
PSA Peugeot-Citroen: extension of the strategic joint committee in charge of the GPEC to non-French members
On June 19, 2008, the management of the French car manufacturer, the six trade union organizations of the group (CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC, CGT, FO, GSEA) and the non-French trade unions represented...
Portugal : commentary of the draft law reforming labor code
Provisions concerning individual employment relations. Portugal has assumed European compromises concerning flexicurity and has attempted to develop its own model of flexicurity. The regulation of...
Siemens: organization of a European demonstration against job cuts
This coordination meeting, organized by the European Metal Workers Federation (FEM) brought together 30 union representatives and European works council members of the Siemens group from across...
Germany : the government coalition parties after much arm wrestling finally agree on a minimum wage rate
Hitherto, only the building and industrial cleaning sectors as well as postal services have a minimum wage often negotiated after a hard battle between political parties and between employers and...
Netherlands: ING pays for its new recruits’ union dues
Since January 1, 2008, the Dutch financial group Internationale Nederlandse Groep (ING) pays for the union dues of its new employees – up to €180 a year. Therefore, the Christian union CNV saw the...
Germany: the IG Metall demands more than a 6.5% wage increase for 3.4 million employees
The collective agreement negotiated in 2007 for the 3.4 million employees in the electrotechnical metallurgy and automotive sectors will be over on October 30, 2008. The IG Metall is already...
Germany: last minute collective agreement for trade employees after 18 months of conflict
For a year and a half, Verdi, the services' union, has been bargaining with the trade federations of several German Lander to reach a collective agreement affecting 2.7 million employees. The...
Scor: the joint committee of the reinsurer’s European companies wants to propose alternatives to the 200 job cuts announced by the management
Denis Kessler, CEO of the reinsurance company, announced 200 job cuts, taking by surprise European staff representatives, which are now getting ready to propose alternatives and suggestions about...
Dexia: the group will become a European Company
The board of the Franco-Belgian bank Dexia (35.200 employees), approved, on July 3, the plans the changes in the operational organization of Dexia presented by the Group's Management Board. The...
Germany: the revision of the EWC directive arouses controversy
Adopted on July 2, 2008 by the European Commission (see our dispatch No. 080553), the proposal for the revision of the EWC directive was heavily criticized in Germany. The German Confederation of...
Italy: the CISL shuts a training institute down for embezzlement
The IAL (Istituto addestramento lavoratori – the CISL's training institute) shut its Abruzzo (central Italy) regional structure, which is subject to an investigation on embezzlement. This scandal...
Luxembourg: draft regulation on minimum wage for highly-skilled third-country nationals
The Governing Council adopted, on July 4, 2008, a draft regulation defining the minimum income level for highly-skilled workers, pursuant to the bill on the free movement of people and...
International: creation of a transatlantic union as an answer to global capitalism
Workers Uniting; this will be the name of the trade union born from the merger between the British union Unite and the American union United Steelworkers (USW). The new trans-Atlantic organization...
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...