Spain : a study on wage increases and their mechanisms
According to a Mercer HR Consulting study, Spanish wages should increase by 4.1% next year (down from 4.6% this year.) This rise, judged reasonable given the expected inflation rate of 3.5%...
Belgium: FGTB organizes second «day of temporary workers’ rights»
On September 13th, 2006, the socialist FGTB labour union launched a debate with employers on temporary work, the respect of the legislation and workers' safety. (Ref 06892)
Nestlé: a social plan for Dutch workers affected by a relocation
The Swiss group Nestle, which decided to close a plant in the Netherlands as part of a relocation in the Czech Republic and in Ukraine, introduced a job saving plan to Dutch employees. The main...
11 September 2006
Finland: social partners asked to propose a plan to boost employment
The Finnish government, via the social democrat minister Eero Heinaluoma, asked the union organizations, at the beginning of August, to submit to the government a plan in favor of employment. He...
The IMF examines its policy of international collective negotiation
The international Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) will organize a conference, on September 26th and 27th, which will deal with the orientation to give to international framework agreements. (Ref...
Arcelor-Mittal: discussions on the future of the European Work’s council
The merger of both steel groups should soon lead to the constitution of a single European work's council. This will be difficult, because the current European work's councils are very different...
EU: unions to act for a European Constitution with more social guarantees
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) and the Federation of Austrian Trade Unions (OEGB) expressed their concern, in a exchange of letters...
Spain: for labour unions and labor inspectors, social dumping is a priority
The labor inspection and union organizations are scrutinizing the working conditions of immigrants. ThyssenKrupp Taragone is one of the companies targeted. It is suspected of laying off Spanish...
Germany: women’s average salary is 22.5 % lower than that of men
A study of the Institute of socioeconomic researches (WSI) of the Hans-Böckler Stiftung (a foundation linked to German trade unions) conducted by surveying 60 000 salaried workers, shows that the...
Germany: first warning strikes in the steel industry
The renegotiation of collective agreements in the steel industry (104 000 workers) is making no progress. It started at the end of August in three Western Länder and in former East Germany. IG...
Italy: One third of salaried employees earn less than 1000 euros a month
More than one third of Italian employees must live with less than 1000 euros (take home) per month, according to a study of the Institute of economic and social research (Ires) and the Italian...
Netherlands: wage increases are surprisingly high
Wages are increasing faster than expected this year, according to the annual index of Mercer Human Resource Consulting, published on September 5th. The average increase is 3.8 %, nearly double the...
Total: European negotiations on support of employees’ entrepreneurship and safety at work
Total's management is going to start a negotiation, at the end of the month, on swarming and company solidarity. It also agreed on a future negotiation dealing with safety at work. (Ref 06858)
Intel to cut 10 500 jobs by the middle of 2007
The world's number 1 chipmaker said on Tuesday the 5th, that it would cut its total workforce by 10% in order to increase efficiency and cut costs. 7 500 jobs will disappear by the end of the...
Belgium: the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions demands the transposition of the « information-consultation» directive
« Today, the government is exactly 532 days late for the implementation of the European directive which gives workers a right to information and consultation », reports the Confederation of...
Germany: few firms have a profit sharing system
According to a study introduced on September 5th, 2006 by the Research institute on the job market and trades (IAB), 9 % of German firms provide their employees with a profit-sharing system and 2...
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
France: Bayer puts female health and inclusive parenthood at the centre of its equality policy
In a new agreement on gender equality highlighted by mind RH, Bayer commits to strengthening its parenthood policy. Furthermore, the company is anticipating pay transparency and introducing...
25 September 2026
2
Germany: Volkswagen cancels almost all collective bargaining agreements signed with IG Metall
The Volkswagen brand announced on 30 September that it is terminating 10 of its 13 internal collective bargaining agreements, effective 31 December 2026. The announcement, which the carmaker...
1 October 2026
3
France: final document on the work of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference
After six months of discussions between French social partners, the guarantors of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference submitted the conclusions of the discussions to the Prime Minister...
17 September 2026
4
Germany: working time dispute between Mercedes and the IG Metall Union
The news. At the beginning of September, Mercedes-Benz asked employee representatives and the IG Metall union to agree to an increase in the weekly working time from 35 to 40 hours, without any...
16 September 2026
5
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026
6
UK: duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union postponed to 1 January 2027
The news. On 25 September, the British government published its response to a consultation launched on 23 October on the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union. The...