Portugal: government wants to limit layoff pay and facilitate negotiation at company level
Limiting layoff pay.  At this stage, the government hasn’t defined the limit and sent the case back for social dialogue.  However, layoff pay can only be limited for labor contracts signed after...
Italy: new Fiat-Chrysler joint venture will remain outside the Italian industrial relations system
After Fiat left the negotiating table on the future of Mirafiori (see our dispatch No.  100861), Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s managing director, agreed, on Friday, December 10th, in New York, with...
Greece: latest mobilization episode shows people are still angry
Demonstrations were equally massive (the largest gathering since May 5th) in Athens and Thessalonica, the second largest city in the country.  All unions, private and public alike, took part in...
Germany: the Union of Christian Unions in the temporary sector isn’t authorized to sign collective agreements, Federal Labor Court rules
Victory for Verdi and the Land of Berlin. For the Union of Temporary Christian Unions (Tarifgemeinschaft Christlicher Gewerkschaften für Zeitarbeit und Personalserviceagenturen - CGZP), which...
15 December 2010
Italy: Telecom Italia launches its “school of labor relations”
“With this initiative, Telecom Italia keeps building a system marked by dialogue between the partners, the only one that can generate value for the entire society” declared Telecom Italia’s...
EU: European unions in the streets, Wednesday, December 15th
Unions are protesting against the austerity measures that impact wages and question the Welfare State in some European countries.  They notably blame the EU for determining aid to drastic wage...
14 December 2010
Veolia Environnement: rider to EWC agreement introduces flexible exchange of views
Build from the 2005 agreement.  The initial agreement, which dates back to October 10, 2005, already contained innovative provisions. It stated,“The vocation of the Veolia Environnement European...
Italy: Indesit management and unions agree on national restructuring program
Indesit Company employees in Brembate (Bergamo) and Refrontolo (Treviso) are currently voting on the agreement signed on the night of December 7th between the Ministry of Economic Development, the...
13 December 2010
Netherlands: strike continues at TNT Post
After two 24-hour strikes in November where 8,000 people turned out, only 4,000 mailmen came to the last strike movement.  A fourth strike is going to be organized on December 15th, announced, on...
Greece: government adopts bill bringing flexibility to the labor market
First approved by Brussels earlier last week, the bill which notably brings flexibility to the labor market in the private sector was discussed by the Council of Ministers on Thursday, December...
Great Britain: more and more small disputes over pay and pensions
Workers at Heinz’s Wigan food factory have balloted overwhelmingly for strike action and industrial action short of a strike over what they consider to be a poor pay offer while company profits...
Germany: Verdi union calls for a 6.5% wage increase for Deutsche Telekom staff
Improve the pay plan of T-Service employees.  For the renegotiation of the company collective agreements, which expire on December 31, 2010 (see our dispatch No.  090314), Verdi’s collective...
Spain: unions present own-initiative bill to amend the labor market reform voted in September
When presenting the text, the union leaders, Candido Mendez (UGT) and Ignacio Fernandez Toxo (CCOO), explained that they were hoping for a chance to revive the debate and give the government the...
EU: metal social partners place growth, employment and training at the heart of sectoral social dialogue
A strong industry. During this social dialogue meeting, the union and the employers’ organization rejoiced that the industry was back at the top of the European agenda.  In a first statement...
9 December 2010
Pfleiderer: signature of an international social charter
Requirements that also apply to subcontractors.  Based in Neutmark, Bavaria, Pfleider specializes in the wholesale trade of wood and construction materials.  It employs nearly 5,200 people in 22...
Germany: chemistry union claims for up to 7% increase for 550,000 employees
Record claims.  Any other offers?  In September, the first post-crisis wage agreement brought a 3.6% increase and a €150 bonus to steel employees (see our dispatch No.  100688).  In the fall...
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
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...