Denmark: CSC computing company signs two collective agreements substantially reviewing working conditions
A “historical” defeat for the union.  The conflict between PROSA (FTF member) and CSC burst out in February 2011 when the multinational’s management did a lock-out to oppose the strike organized...
Germany: focus on the election of union representatives in metal firms
Union representatives and WC, two different roles.  There are many of them in businesses, working on a voluntary basis and usually ignored by the public: “Vertrauensleute” are unionists defending...
10 January 2012
China: notes from the China Labour Bulletin
“Unity is strength: The Workers’ Movement in China 2009-2011.”  The report opens with the story of what happened on May 31, 2010 at the Nanhai Honda automotive components factory when about 200...
Italy: the Fiom is organizing to reconquer union rights at Fiat
Starting on January 1, 2012, Fiat lost union representation rights at Fiat following the separate agreement of December 13 (see our dispatch No.  110779), the Fiom no longer receives contributions...
United States: NLRB paralysis avoided for now
On Tuesday, January 4, Barack Obama appointed three new members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB, in charge of enforcing union rights).  Indeed, after Craig Becker’s term expired on...
Poland: negotiations get tougher for the follow-up of the “Anticrisis” Act
The Act of July 1, 2009 on lessening the consequences of the economic downturn (known as the “Anticrisis Act”) expired on December 31, 2011 (see our dispatches No.  090611 and 090555).  Thus...
Germany: even ‘liberal’ economists are calling for high wage increases in 2012
Increases to support German and European growth.  “In theory, unions are rights.  After several years of wage moderation, the time has come to up the level of wage claims.  I think they will know...
Great Britain: more and more conflicts over pension schemes
008, businesses have been amending their pension schemes (closing defined benefit pensions schemes to new entrants, reforming final salary schemes…) without employees resisting much. After...
Netherlands: cleaning agents on strike
Negotiations for the next collective agreement covering cleaning agents are at a standstill: unions fixed an ultimatum on January 1 for the OSB employers’ organization to accept their conditions. ...
Italy: separate collective agreement in the automotive sector based on Fiat’s “Pomigliano model”
In order to convince Fiat to return to Confindustria, Federmeccanica for employers and the Fim-Cisl, Uilm-Uil, Fismic and UGLM-UGL unions signed a separate agreement, on December 22, on "special...
Spain: Seat signs draft agreement linking pay to productivity
er, Seat (Volkswagen group) and the UGT union, which represents a majority of workers in the company, signed an agreement in principle on the new collective agreement 2011-2015. For the first...
Denmark: businesses relocating to Denmark bank on the Scandinavian working culture
the magazine published by the Fødevareforbundet NNF food workers’ union dedicated 12 pages to businesses in the sector relocating the greater part of their production to Denmark...
23 December 2011
Brazil: Zara strikes deal with Brazilian court following the slavery scandal
ant is going to invest EUR 1.4 million in Brazil to prevent slave labor in the textile industry, by virtue of the agreement signed with the Brazilian labor prosecution. In doing so, the Court is...
22 December 2011
Italy: union unity stronger because of concerns over Mario Monti’s labor reform
erations are tightening their ranks after the Minister of Labor announced the possibility of reviewing Article 18 of the Workers’ Statute which provides that employers have to re-hire any...
Germany: for the first time, the temporary sector is setting up sectoral minimum wage
kel administration introduced, on December 20, via a decree, sectoral minimum wage in the temporary sector. Starting on January 1, 2012, the sector’s approximately 900,000 employees will...
Portugal: creation of a new service confederation to boost employers’ representation
ese Services (CSP) created a group with the major employers’ organizations in the service, retail and telecom industry. The new confederation represents 20 percent of the country’s GDP...
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: austerity measures proposed in social security financing bill for 2026
Limits on sick leave, the end of social security exemptions for apprentices, and the introduction of additional birth leave: the 2026 social security financing bill, presented to parliament on 14...
16 October 2025
2
Netherlands: ING cites AI as it plans to cut around 950 jobs
Dutch bank ING has informed the employment agency UWV that it may cut around 950 jobs by 31 December 2026. In its notification on 20 October, the lender said the planned reductions stem partly...
30 October 2025
3
France: Decathlon introduces a ‘duty to respect others’ right to disconnect’
A right-to-disconnect agreement was signed in late September for the French arm of the Decathlon sports retail group. It sets out a "duty to respect others’ right to disconnect" and provides...
14 November 2025
4
United Kingdom largely retained within scope of EWCs despite Brexit, study shows
A study published this month by the Institute for Economic and Social Research, the French trade union research organisation, examined how the involvement of British representatives in European...
5
Romania: collective agreement extended to entire insurance sector
On 3 November, Romania’s National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue approved the extension of the collective labour agreement signed on 23 May by the Confederation of Employers in the...
6
Italy: new collective agreement for managers in tertiary sector
On 5 November, the ManagerItalia union and the employers’ association Confcommercio renewed the collective agreement for managers in Italy’s tertiary, distribution and services...