Italy: Inail’s occupational medicine department publishes “White Paper on exposure to nanomaterials and their impact on workers’ health and safety”
In Italy, nearly 200 structures (57% public and 43% private) are engaged in R&D for nanotechnologies.  In 2008, around 670,000 people were said to be working in microelectronics, chemistry...
13 May 2011
United States: rebirth for the National Labor Relations Board
The amendment passed in Arizona recognizes only secret ballot elections as the means for representation elections and prohibits a process known as “card check” with which a majority of employees...
EU: ETUC 12th Congress to open in Athens on may 16th
Representatives from 82 organizations and 12 sectoral federations from 36 European countries, representing about 60 million members, are expected on May 16th in Athens, a few days after the 10th...
12 May 2011
Italy: Cisl and Uil union confederations get closer
The Cisl and Uil’s confederal secretariats met on May 5th for “joint confrontation on the most important themes of the labor world, with an economic situation characterized by recovery that goes...
Great Britain: latest statistics on union membership show that the fall continues
Union density - the relative measure of the percentage of all workers who are members of a union - fell by 0.8% from 27.4% in 2009 to 26.6% in 2010. Union membership in absolute terms fell by...
France Telecom: first meeting for the global works council
Introduced via an agreement signed on June 23, 2010 by the telecom, the six French unions present in the company, the global union alliance UNI France Telecom, gathering unions recognized by the...
International: towards the creation of a global manufacturing union federation
Statuses.  The task for created last year in preparation for the creation of a global manufacturing union met in Frankfurt on May 5th.  Its 37 members, representing the three union organizations...
IBM: creation of a global union alliance
Cooperation.  The agreement is a first in terms of cross-industry union cooperation.  European and international metal and service representatives commit themselves to “work together at global...
Greece: general strike on May 11th against the new austerity measures envisioned by the government
Columnist Giorgos Kyrtsos thinks the country’s bailout is a failure, in spite of the severe austerity policy implemented.  “Wealth production is declining, recession is raging, there aren’t enough...
Austria: 3.05% increase for the 45,000 employees of the chemical industry
It was after their third meeting that the social partners in the Austrian chemical industry – second industry in the country in terms of value produced – agreed on wage increases that show the...
Italy: CGIL rejoices with the success of its general strike against the Berlusconi administration’s economic policy
“We’re the best part of Italy, the one that doesn’t cave or accept the country’s decline, and we don’t deserve this government.”  Susanna Camusso, in her speech closing the big Naples...
Belgium: commerce unions demand harmonization of working conditions for employees
Social dumping.  One year after the creation of a working committee on the harmonization of social dialogue bodies in the commerce industry (equal committees No.  202, 202.01, 201, 311 and 312)...
Germany: after the temporary sector, surveillance is getting sectoral minimum wage
Germany’s solutions to wage dumping.  The government has kept its promise.  To protect German workers against the risk of social dumping with the opening of the labor market to eastern European...
Denmark: young people at the center of the recruitment policies of unions increasing their membership
While many LO historical unions are busy combating their member hemorrhage (see our dispatch No.  110301), many AC unions show historical recruitment scores, sporting a constantly increasing...
EU: Michael Wolters elected EMCEF general secretary
Objectives.  “Our three sectors are gathered within a single union in many European countries, hence this merger.  My goal is to reach an acceptable compromise for our affiliates” explained...
5 May 2011
Great Britain: TUC union wants to inform students about unions’ role
Inform via the web.  This is an unprecedented initiative: schools and colleges teachers now have access to learning tools about unions’ role, via a free website accessible to all...
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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
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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...
4
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...
5
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...
6
Germany: legal battle at Tesla ahead of works council election
The Frankfurt/Oder labour court has postponed a mid-November hearing in the case between the IG Metall union and Michaela Schmitz, employee representative and head of the works council at the...