A look back at 2024: international social dialogue of growing importance to large companies
While 2023 was marked at European level by the failure to negotiate a framework agreement on telework, it was the strengthening of the directive on European works councils that was in the news in...
Luxembourg: an extra day’s holiday for employees in construction and civil engineering sector
After tough negotiations, the OGBL and LCGB trade unions and the employers’ organisations in Luxembourg’s construction and civil engineering sector finally reached an agreement on 20...
Netherlands: 6% pay rise in the food retail sector
At the end of December, the social partners in the retail sector signed a new collective agreement valid retroactively from 1 July 2024 to 1 April 2026, i.e. for a period of 21 months. The...
Germany: vast savings and job cuts plan agreed at Volkswagen but it is not a panacea
Following historic negotiations, the IG Metall trade union, the central works council and Volkswagen management agreed on Friday 20 December on major cost-cutting measures and significant...
France: social agreement struck at Renault amid crisis in automotive sector
On 19 December, carmaker Renault and the CFDT and CFE-CGC trade unions signed a new social agreement for the period 2025-2027. It covers skills, work organisation, social protection and non-wage...
Spain: agreement reached by government and unions to reduce working week to 37.5 hours
The agreement signed on 20 December by Spanish labour minister Yolanda Díaz and representatives of the CCOO and UGT unions provides for a reduction in the working week from the current 40 hours to...
20 December 2024
Romania: first-ever sectoral agreement for bank employees
The first sectoral agreement signed in Romania since 2011 came into force on 27 November 2024 with its publication in the official gazette. Signed in May, it was extended by the government in...
Italy: the new logistics collective agreement modernises the sector
On 6 December, 24 employers' organisations in the freight transport, logistics and parcel shipping sectors and the trade unions Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl and Uiltrasporti signed a new national...
18 December 2024
Axa France launches social dialogue on artificial intelligence
In a statement of conclusions adopted jointly on 19 November 2024, the management of the insurance company Axa France IARD (34,000 employees for the group in France) and the social partners have...
ILO praises effectiveness of social dialogue in protecting workers against inflation
On 11 December, the International Labour Organization (ILO) published its second report on social dialogue, this time focusing on the national and sectoral levels. The study shows that 87% of the...
Italy: 7,500 new hires and stabilisation of precarious staff at Poste Italiane
The reorganisation of Poste Italiane, Italy’s largest company in terms of the number of employees (around 120,000), is taking shape through a series of agreements signed on 27 November with...
France: Engie increases remote work allowance
While the agreement on remote work signed in 2021 by Engie SA allowed only one or two days of teleworking per week, the new version, signed on 28 November 2024 for a period of two years, raises...
10 December 2024
Germany: without an agreement before Christmas, strike action is scheduled for start of 2025 at Volskwagen
The fourth meeting between the German automaker's social partners took place on Monday 9 December against a backdrop of massive warning strikes. Although eagerly awaited, the meeting failed to...
France: Cargill to grant menstrual leave to female staff
On 19 November, the French branch of the American food corporation Cargill (155,000 employees worldwide) and its trade unions signed an agreement on professional equality. It contains measures on...
Luxembourg: Delhaize collective agreement for 2024-2027 introduces new bonuses
The agreement signed on 25 November between the management of the Belgian retailer's Luxembourg subsidiary and the unions brings a number of improvements for employees. The agreement includes new...
3 December 2024
Italy: collective agreement for managers in industry puts emphasis on equality
On 13 November, the employers’ organisation Confindustria and the Federmanager association signed an agreement renewing the national collective agreement (CCN) for managers in industry...
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: CDC Habitat defines a framework and means for social dialogue on AI
In an agreement signed on 23 February with trade unions, the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et consignations) Habitat (10,800 employees) guarantees that AI solutions will only...
2
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
3
France: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...
4
Germany: controversial collective bargaining compliance act adopted
On 26 February, the Bundestag approved the Tariftreuegesetz (collective bargaining compliance act), aimed at strengthening collective agreements and tackling social dumping by tying certain public...
26 February 2026
5
United Kingdom: launch of consultation on protection against detriment for industrial action
The British government launched a public consultation on 26 February regarding new protections for workers against "detriment" related to industrial action, scheduled to take effect in October...
12 March 2026
6
Germany: a wave of redundancy plans in the automotive sector
The latest financial results presented in early 2026 by major German car manufacturers show sharp declines. This collapse in profits has triggered the announcement or confirmation of massive job...
16 March 2026