Germany: IG-Metall union asks Continental for employment guaranties
As the takeover of the car manufacturer Siemens VDO by its competitor Continental approaches (it should be finalized at the end of the year), the IG Metall union sent a strong signal to...
Germany: GDL to launch strike on freight lines
Important victory for the train drivers' union GDL : on November 2, 2007, the labour court of the Saxony Land allowed drivers to strike on all lines, including freight and national lines. In a new...
Italy: metalworkers strongly mobilized for renewal of their national collective convention
The first national mobilization day, organized on October 30 by the metallurgy unions (Fim-Cisl, Fiom-Cgil and Uilm-Uil) for the renewal of the sector's national collective agreement, was marked...
Austria: the social partners in the iron and steel industry agree on a 3.5% wage increase with variable clauses
It was not until the third summit meeting and after 17 hours of negotiation between Erich Foglar, boss of the Metal-Textile- Food union (GMTN) and Hermann Haslauer, the employers’ representative...
Gaz de France: the EWC demands a comprehensive information-consultation procedure
In a resolution adopted on October 26, 2007, members of Gaz de France's EWC consider that they have never been consulted on the merger between Suez and Gaz de France. They demand the expertise...
Hungary: a strike of engine drivers to protest against the restructuring of the railway sector
On 22 July 2007 the Ministry of Economy and Transport (GKM) and the Union of Engine-Drivers signed an agreement on the improvement of the safety conditions in railway traffic and on the amendment...
Italy: CGIL started talks on internal divisions after the referendum on the social protocol
The union's management accepted, on October 23, to launch a reflection on the results of the referendum on the social protocol which split the Cgil (see our article No. 070747). Some people...
26 October 2007
Germany: collective agreement on minimum wage in textile industry
The IG Metall union and the Intex e.V employers' federation in the textile industry signed, on October 23, 2007, an agreement on the branch minimum wage which will concern about 30 000 employees...
Italy: social partners signed a protocol reducing precariousness in call centers
The Slc-Cgil, Fistel-Cisl and Uilcom unions and the employers' organization Assocontact -Confindustria - which gathers the main Italian call centers service providers in outsourcing, signed, at...
Volkswagen-Porsche SE: Volkswagen’s EWC lost its case against Porsche
The day after the Court of Justice of the European Communities condemned the Volkswagen law (see our article N°70877), the employees of the car manufacturer experienced another disappointment. The...
Spain: employers and unions agree to limit wage increases to 3% in 2008
Social partners share a common analysis of the need to extend one more year the agreement of wage reduction effective in Spain since 2007. The goal of this maintained austerity is to strengthen...
Volkswagen: IG-Metal wants to keep “Volkswagen” law
The Court of Justice of the European Communities rendered, on October 23, 2007, its decision in the case opposing the European Commission to Germany about the German "Volkswagen" law which enabled...
23 October 2007
Germany : the Deutsche Bahn fired two strikers with no prior notice
For the first time since the beginning of the conflict which opposes the train drivers' union (GDL) and the Deutsche Bahn, the German railroad company confirmed, on October 22, 2007, that it...
Germany: Deutsche Bahn’s drivers union toughened the strike
The conflict which is opposing the GDL to the Deutsche Bahn is toughening even more around the GDL's claim, which is asking for a specific collective agreement within the company. The DB, as well...
Hungary: beginning of the negotiations on 2008 minimum wage
Social partners and government representatives gathered, on October 12, 2007, within a tripartite instance of dialogue, in order to determine the amount of next year's minimum wage. However, 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
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...