Freundenberg Group: the EWC wants to become a driving force in social policy with its “health map making” plan
An international family business, the German company Freundenberg employs 33.000 people, 22.000 of them in Europe. In 1996, a European works council was established. Last year, it decided to...
Schaeffler Group: the German equipment manufacturer gets an EWC
In October 2007, Schaeffler Group – 66.000 employees throughout the world – finally reached an agreement with its EU staff representatives to create a European works council. The new body will...
Mexico: striking miners require more safety
Three large strikes have been disturbing Mexican mines for eight months. In addition to wage claims, miners are pleading for an enhancement of safety conditions, two years after the accident which...
Germany: the IG Metall questions the Confederation of German Unions (DGB)
During an internal speech, Bertold Huber, IG Metall chair, launched an unprecedented attack against the stasis of the DGB which, "if it doesn't develop a concept for the future", will be...
Thomas Cook: agreement for the establishment of a EWC
The management of the Thomas Cook Company (33.000 employees) and the special negotiating body created to negotiate for a European works council came to an agreement on March 6. The negotiation...
Bouygues: creation of a new EWC
After the dispute which led to canceling the anticipation agreement of the European dialogue body of the French group Bouygues, the management and the special negotiating body adopted, on February...
Italy: the Cgil analyzes characteristics and trends of second-level collective bargaining
During the national congress dedicated to the "evaluation and prospects of second-level bargaining", which took place on March 18 at the Cgil's headquarters in Rome, the Cgil's Observatory for...
Slovakia: law for the extension of collective agreements adopted
The draft amendment for the law concerning collective bargaining was adopted by the Slovakian National Assembly. It meets the needs to extend collective agreements according to fairer criteria...
Germany: negotiations failed at the Deutsche Post, Verdi launches the first warning strikes
The mailboxes of 14 large German cities will remain empty today. The services' union Ver.di threatens to carry on with the movement if the Deutsche Post does not accept, among other things, a new...
Czech Republic: Constitutional Court repeals several Labour Code provisions
Vagueness, unclearness and uncertainty. The Constitutional Court struck out part of Section 2 on which provisions of the Labour Code are mandatory and which may be derogated from. The...
Italy: Emma Marcegaglia at the head of Confindustria; innovation and continuation
The appointment of Emma Marcegaglia at the head of Confindustria for the 2008-2012 period should mark the beginning of a new era for the employers' confederation. It already shows progress for...
Germany: industries ignore the call on minimum wage
Always arguing about minimum wage, the parties of the coalition in power and the Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs (BMAS), asked the sectors interested in the establishment of an...
Romania: general unlimited strike in Renault-Dacia’s factory
After wage negotiations failed at Renault-Dacia's Pitesti site, unions declared, on March 24, an unlimited general strike to demand wage increases. As for the management, it disputed the...
Nalco: agreement for the establishment of a European Works Council
The American multinational company Nalco (11.000 employees), specialized in water treatment, signed, on February 13, 2008, an agreement for the establishment of a EWC for its European employees...
Slovenia: union mobilization to increase wages used for a euro-demonstration
On March 12, six national union organizations launched a general 18-hour strike in the private sector, which was apparently followed by 145.000 employees, to lobby employers to get a wage increase...
Germany: upcoming union scandal in the postal sector
The Der Spiegel Magazine proves that the GNBZ - the trade union for the new companies of the postal sector - was paid for by private competitors of the Deutsche Post. While the Ver.di union lodged...
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...