GfK: analysis of the agreement on the involvement of employees in the European company
studies institute worldwide, the German group GfK (10.000 employees of which 80% are outside German territory), has just converted to a European Company on February 3, 2009. The group came to an...
MAN SE: analysis of the agreement on the involvement of workers in the future European company
producer of engines for transport and power plant applications MAN (51.000 employees) signed, on February 18, 2009 in Munich, an agreement on the involvement of employees, thus allowing the group...
Italy: 3.4 million people reject the reform of the conventional reform in a referendum organized by the CGIL
ion workers took part in the consultation organized by the largest Italian union, the CGIL, on the agreement on the reform of the conventional system. The CGIL rejected this agreement but the two...
Denmark: unions prepare for negotiations on the renewal of collective agreements in the private sector
t out to companies not having signed collective agreements. Better conditions for severance with, inter alia, a longer term of notice. And, especially, employers’ respect of agreements...
Sweden: the scandal of the AMF pension fund harms the credibility of Wanja Lundby-Wedin, leader of the LO union
andals (high remuneration and bonuses) within the equally funded AMF pension fund when the latter announced reduced yield for pensions paid because of the financial crisis, weakened the...
Netherlands: wage moderation and retirement at 67
omic recovery package presented on March 25, 2009 by the Dutch government is the increase of old-age pension (AOW) from 65 to 67. Moreover, the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV) accepted...
Spain: Workers’ Commissions propose a “State Pact for Economy and Employment”
, Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, CCOO’s new general secretary, defended dialogue and understanding between the government, unions and employers’ organizations to face the crisis better...
Germany: validation of “simple differentiation” clauses negotiated exclusively for union members
009 (Ref. 4AZR 64/08), the Federal Labor Tribunal rejected the complaint of a non-unionized employee demanding to benefit from the advantages exclusively negotiated by Ver.di for employee members...
Sweden: the failure of negotiations on a new national collective agreement is a missed opportunity for reforming the industrial relations system
loyers’ association Svenskt Naringsliv announced its decision to interrupt negotiations on the renewal of the industrial relations system founded in 1938. The social partners had vastly...
Lennox Europe: establishment of a European works council
ope (1.750 employees) and the special negotiating body, composed of French (CFDT, CFE-CGC, CFTC, CGT, FO) and Spanish (CCOO, UGT) union organizations signed, on January 20, 2009, an agreement...
Spain: one of employers’ main think tanks proposes structural reforms
Empresarios presented a document entitled “New Solutions to Create Jobs”. The text, developed by one of employers’ most influential think tanks, analyzes current shortcomings of...
Philips: small impact of the EWC on restructurings
) met at the end of last week. The management announced that the company is in a difficult situation, without giving any details as to the number of jobs threatened in Europe. The Forum’s 23...
Germany: the IG Metall announces a new bargaining strategy to allow employees to access businesses’ capital
ating, Detlef Wetzel, number 2 at the IG Metall, announced that there would be “no more wage gifts for businesses”. If the managers of ailing businesses want to cut wages, in exchange...
Spain: Seat employees vote wage freeze to save their jobs
Martorell factory, near Barcelona, accepted a wage freeze for 2009 via a referendum. Unilaterally proposed by the UGT union, the initiative was presented as a measure to support the factory, with...
Portugal: debate over measures against the crisis at the UGT’s 11th Congress
union, the General Workers’ Union (UGT) held its 11th Congress on March 20-21 in Lisbon. The watchword was: “Overcoming the crisis, a future under the sign of employment and...
Netherlands: bonuses to be banned in bailed out banks
Wouter Bos announced a total ban on bonuses for all groups bailed out by the State. This decision comes after ING decided to grant a welcome bonus to its new financial manager, Patrick Flynn. The...
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: Bayer puts female health and inclusive parenthood at the centre of its equality policy
In a new agreement on gender equality highlighted by mind RH, Bayer commits to strengthening its parenthood policy. Furthermore, the company is anticipating pay transparency and introducing...
25 September 2026
2
Germany: Volkswagen cancels almost all collective bargaining agreements signed with IG Metall
The Volkswagen brand announced on 30 September that it is terminating 10 of its 13 internal collective bargaining agreements, effective 31 December 2026. The announcement, which the carmaker...
1 October 2026
3
France: final document on the work of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference
After six months of discussions between French social partners, the guarantors of the Labour, Employment and Pensions Conference submitted the conclusions of the discussions to the Prime Minister...
17 September 2026
4
Germany: Employers’ representatives seek to limit the rights of works councils
The Employers' Federation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände - BDA) published a report at the end of September in which it proposes a...
5
Germany: working time dispute between Mercedes and the IG Metall Union
The news. At the beginning of September, Mercedes-Benz asked employee representatives and the IG Metall union to agree to an increase in the weekly working time from 35 to 40 hours, without any...
16 September 2026
6
Germany: major day of union action in the automotive industry ahead of collective bargaining
A few weeks before the start of collective bargaining in the German metalworking sector, the IG Metall trade union mobilised nearly 175,000 workers across more than 200 industrial sites on 21...
22 September 2026