Ireland: negotiations on the social pact should be tough
On February 15, the Prime Minister, Berie Ahern, gathered social partners for a first plenary session which marked the beginning of the negotiations to evaluate the pact "Towards 2016" (see our...
Generali: the insurance group consolidates the EWC
On December 18, 2007, the Italian insurance group Assicurzzioni Generali (61.000 employees, 56.000 in Europe) renewed, after adopting a "European social charter for the Generali group" (see our...
Italy : first meeting of social partners on the reform of the collective agreement model
“A good start” commented Guglielmo Epifani, CGIL general secretary at the informal meeting on February 18 with Confindustria. He announced that the real negotiation will start on February 21 with...
Danske Bank Group: agreement for the creation of a European Works Council
The management of the banking group Danske Bank (24.000 employees) and the special negotiation body gathering staff representatives from 12 European countries reached an agreement, on December 10...
Germany: unprecedented tax evasion revives debate on leading executives’ ethics
A few months only after a controversy on executives' wages, the German economic elite are again in the limelight. According to the online edition of the daily Spiegel (February 18), the...
19 February 2008
Great Britain: TUC dismantles preconceived ideas on agency workers to support bill on temporary work
Whereas the campaing launched several months ago in favor of the improvement of agency workers' rights is intensifying, the Trade Union Confederation just published a list of preconceived ideas on...
Italy: unions mobilized on the wage issue
The three unions launched, on Friday, February 15, the campaign on the "wage issue" (see our article No. 080022) with the catch phrase "fewer taxes, more wages and more pensions". The three...
Italy: new unitary pact between the three unions in the chemistry and energy sector
The executive bodies of the three union federations in the chemistry and energy sector (Filcem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl, Uilcem-Uil ) approved, on February 12, an "action unity pact" which plans new rules...
Italy: the Health Department and unions criticize Fiat
Giampaolo Patta, under-secretary for the Health Department, accused Fiat of violating Law 123 on relations with subcontractors in terms of occupational safety; the group refused to take part in...
Greece: general strike against pension reform
Unions from the public and private sector (respectively ADEDY and GSEE) launched, on February 13, a general 24-hour strike in protest against the pension reform which notably plans to cancel the...
Slovakia: new regulation to calculate minimum wage
The new law concerning minimum wage, which the Slovakian National Assembly adopted on December 5, 2008, came into effect on February 1, 2008. It introduces a new procedure for the annual minimum...
Ireland: SIPTU union threatens to block negotiations for the national wage agreement
A few days only before social partners' meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the future national wage agreement, the SIPTU union officially confirmed that it would sign no further agreement...
Germany: first step towards minimum wage in the temporary sector
Two employers' federations in the temporary sector - BZA and IGZ - and the German confederation of trade unions DGB sent, on February 11, 2008, their official request for minimum wage in the...
Hungary: the ITF calls on the Hungarian government to respect its commitments towards railway workers
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) sent, on February 7, a letter to Transport Minister Kakosi Csaba, asking him to honor the commitments the government took towards workers in...
Slovakia: social partners can’t agree for the renewal of the collective agreement in the mechanical engineering industry
Social partners from the mechanical engineering industries' sector have not yet signed the collective agreement for 2008-2009. Unions are asking for a 7% increase, which they justify by the...
Austria: negotiations on flexible working time started
Since January 1, 2008, Austrian social partners can negotiate, at both branch and company level, an extension of usual daily and/or weekly working time, respectively to 12 hours a day and 60 hours...
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...