Austria: agreement in metallurgy on partly flexible wage increases, according to the firm’s situation
At the end of the fourth round of negotiations, social partners of the Austrian metallurgical industry finally found an agreement. Employers not only succeeded in limiting wage increases at 2.6 %...
Lithuania : trade unions ask the government to lower income taxes
The Lithuanian confederation of trade unions (LPSK) is urging the government to reform income tax rates in order to lower taxes for people with low salaries. (Ref. 061098)
Czech Republic: trade unions want the new Labor Code to come into effect now
The biggest Czech trade union organization, the Czech-Moravian Trade Unions Confederation (CMKOS), announced a demonstration against the planned postponement of the new Labor Code. The...
Poland : 20th National Congress of “Solidarity” in Szczecin
The 20th National Congress of Solidarity (NSZZ 'Solidarnosc') took place in Szczecin on 28-29 September. It marked the 25th anniversary of the first Congress of this Trade Union. (Ref.061096)
Lufthansa: in the name of “anti-discrimination” law, pilots forced to retire at 60 file a complaint against the German airline
It is the first time the new law is invoked in a trial. This time, the discriminating factor is the captain's age. The business world is following the case closely because the ruling could become...
Belgium: union action in big call-centres to fight against stress
The national employees' union (CNE) and its Flemish equivalent, the LBC, have conducted public awareness campaigns in the country' s big call-centres. Entitled "Stop the BOSS (Burn Out Stress...
Germany: job-saving plan at Mercedes will cost less than expected
Mercedes Car Group, the subsidiary of Daimler Chrysler, will cut more jobs in Germany than previously thought, by the end of 2006. But paradoxically, the dismissal indemnities will be lower than...
Belgium : Confederation of Christian trade unions rips back-to-work plan for the unemployed
In October 2004, the national unemployment agency (Onem) launched the first meetings with the unemployed aimed at checking their behaviour as regards job hunting. For the second anniversary of...
Germany: Christmas bonuses are getting more and more variable
According to a study conducted by the Hans-Böckler foundation, the "Christmas bonus" ( Weihnachtsgeld) or "thirteenth month of salary" which used to be commonplace in Germany, is more and more...
France: discussions between trade unions and employers over labour market reform begins
Trade unions and employers, at the instigation of the latter, met on October 23rd to discuss the possible opening of negotiations over labor market reform. (Ref 061080)
Poland: trade union training courses to learn economics and finance
Brand new in Poland: during seventeen months, 1800 trade union activists will learn to read a balance sheet or will discover the secrets of management accounting. Starting this week, they will...
Germany : privatization of Deutsche Bahn now seems uncertain
Once more, the parties of the big coalition (CDU and SPD) failed to agree, during an important meeting on October 26th in Berlin, on how to privatize Deutsche Bahn AG. The following day, Transport...
Malta: government wants to change the mode of calculation of trade union enrolments
The Maltese government wants to reform the rules applying to trade unions as regards the determination of their enrolment. This comes after a controversy triggered by a trade union which had not...
Spain: HR directors have less and less influence on companies’ strategic decisions
HR directors are losing power when it comes to firms' management and strategic decisions, according to a study conducted by the ESADE institute in Barcelona. The study found that HR directors do...
Deutsche Telekom: 45 000 T-Com employees will be transferred to the new T-Service unit
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has just announced its intention to transfer some 45 000 employees of T-Com to its new subsidiary T-Service, with the aim to bring back salaries to a competitive level. DT...
Germany : BenQ’s bankruptcy affects its outside contractors
The bankruptcy of the cell phone producer BenQ (ex-Siemens), means the loss of 1900 jobs out of 3000. The outside contractors are also affected and are starting to lay off. IG Metall says 6000...
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
Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”
On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...
2
Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle
In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...
2 December 2025
3
Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining
On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...
2 December 2025
4
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
5
Inditex European works council mobilises on value sharing
In a joint statement, 10 trade unions comprising the European works council of the Inditex clothing group are calling for rallies in Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany...
6
Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement
Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...
12 December 2025