Sweden: Scania signs new flexibility agreement for Swedish production sites
a new “flexibility” agreement with the IF-Metall (metalworkers’ union) applying in its Swedish production units. This agreement is made up of two complementary chapters: one on...
Austria: high inflation rate at the heart of collective bargaining in the metal industry
l partners in the Austrian metal industry are going to reveal their claims for the renewal of collective agreements via three meetings on October 4th, 12th and 20th. Since businesses’ order...
Germany: Deutsche Bahn railways announce 70,000 new jobs over 10 years
s and staff cuttings, Deutsche Bahn announced, last week, that it wanted to recruit about 7,000 employees and apprentices each year during the coming decade. In the meantime, the company and...
6 September 2011
United States: pay gap allegedly bigger because of decline in union membership
union membership had a much bigger impact than anticipated on the rise of pay unfairness in the United States. This is the conclusion of two renowned sociology professors in their latest study...
Sweden: social partners involved in five-year plan for disabled people
ster of Labor Hillevi Engström officially launched the “New strategy for a policy in favor of people with reduced functions” (nya strategi fôr funktionshinderspolitiken)...
5 September 2011
Germany: Bosch Solar Energy signs first company agreement in solar power
h Solar Energy AG, Bosch Solar Wafers GmbH and Bosch Solar Thin Film, Bosch’s subsidiaries in Thuringia, signed the first true collective company agreement in a sector that is promising but...
Brazil: authorities investigate the use of slavery in Zara’s workshops
bor and the San Paulo administration charged the Spanish clothing giant, Zara, with 52 infringements to labor standards after discovering, in mid-August, three clothing workshops belonging to the...
1 September 2011
United States: National Relations Board to be paralyzed soon
Board (NLRB), which arbitrates conflicts between unions and businesses, could be paralyzed soon. The chair of the NLRB’s board, Wilma Liebman, just left. Another colleague should leave the...
Great Britain: tricky merger between RMT and TSSA transport and rail unions
Discussions will focus upon closer working between both unions initially through a federation structure with a view to moving towards a merger. Both unions also agreed that the door will remain...
United States: United Auto Workers (UAW) wants higher wages for new employees
ed Auto Workers (UAW), wants the $14 an hour wage which most entry-levels workers receive to be increased. The UAW is currently bargaining for pay with the “Big 3” (General Motors...
Belgium: retailing negotiations fail
in the trade industry launched a campaign calling for the resumption of talks on working conditions in the sector. Unable to overcome their disagreements, the social partners terminated the...
Poland: report on working and employment conditions in businesses
the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin) published, on August 24th, a report on work and employment conditions in Polish enterprises. It shows that, since 2005, while working...
Germany: Verdi and Deutsche Post bargain for new part-time retirement system to face staff ageing
On July 4th, Deutsche Post and the Verdi union have launched negotiations which will spread over seven meetings in order to develop a new working time system updating part-time early retirement...
Great Britain: report by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, ACAS, on its intervention for industrial disputes
, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, has seen a significant increase in demand for its help resolving large-scale industrial disputes in the past year. Releasing its annual report in July, ACAS...
Slovakia: commentary of the Labor Code amendment coming into force on September 1, 2011
Slovakian Parliament, the amendment to the Labor Code which brings many changes to nearly one third of labor law regulations was adopted on July 13th by a very small majority. On July 27th, the...
Thales: at its last European convention, the high-tech group evaluates the application of its IDEA and TALK European agreements
A European and joint exercise so the process doesn’t run out of steam.  “IDEA was created two years ago.  We cannot get into a routine, we need to boost it, revitalize its development, and...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
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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...