Germany: daily publishes the pay of major German union managers
‘ pay and bonuses is raging, Munich’s Suddeutsche Zeitung daily (February 18) decided to publish the salary of the main union leaders in the country. However, only the leaders of...
Austria: union concentration goes on with the creation of “pro.ge”, a “production union”
metalworkers’ union (GMTN), the chemistry union (GdC) and wood and building workers’ union (GBH), the “pro.ge” interunion alliance is going to become a full-fledged union...
General Motors Europe: toward the creation of an independent European structure?
restructuring plan of General Motors (GM) on the verge of bankruptcy, to the American government, the management of the European subsidiary, General Motors Europe, and the European Works Council...
Spain: the social partners denounce the void of the integral support plan for the automotive sector
zation regret the lack of content of a plan prepared by the Ministry of Industry without consulting the major role players of the auto sector. They think that this plan won’t help the sector...
Italy: questions and possible consequences of the reform of the conventional system
The major feeling after the signature of the separate agreement, and the series of declarations which followed, praising its modernism or flaying the union divide it created, is that the coup on...
Bosch: the European trade union coordination group of the brakes division mobilizes to anticipate coming restructurings
of Bosch brakes division, affiliated with the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) organized, on Monday, February 16, a European day of action. This initiative was aimed at...
Italy: controversy over joining the general strike organized by the iron and steel workers and civil service of the CGIL
ganized by the Fiom and the public service of the CGIL has received, according to the Fiom, an average 70% backing in the iron and steel industry. However, the employers’ association...
Germany: the Bundesrat introduces minimum wage in six more sectors
the Bundesrat – the Federal Council – agreed, on February 13, 2009, to establish minimum wage in six sectors with about 1.2 million employees. This vote ends a very controversial...
Italy: the Cub, Cobas and SDL independent unions consolidate their march toward unity
The “basic pact”. The three organizations decided to proceed further with the “permanent consultative pact” negotiated in May 2008 by a new “basic pact”, which retains the content and goals while...
Lithuania: demonstrations against rising unemployment force government to open social dialogue
e crisis. As for the other two “Baltic tigers”, the economic slowdown was slightly felt as early as late 2006, together with strong inflation. After prosperous years, the country faces...
Renault: EWC expresses solidarity with Spanish workers
results for 2008, a delegation of Spanish employees went to Paris to express concern over their job’s future. The French car manufacturer’s EWC supported this approach in a...
Germany: investment bankers at the Dresdner Kleinwort to press charges to get their bonus
essed a around €1 billion in their unit in 2008 – the managers of the Dresdner Kleinwort investment bank – a subsidiary of Dresdner Bank, bought by the Commerzbank in January...
12 February 2009
Areva: evaluation of the European project on the development of social dialogue via the framework agreement on equal opportunities
e ODEO (“Open dialogue through equal opportunities”) project, which includes Areva’s EWC bureau and management representatives, presented its final report to the European...
Poland: statutes of the new Confederation of Metalworkers’ Unions published
The Confederation of Metalworkers' Unions, created on January 7 (see our dispatch No. 090038) published its statutes, formalizing this inter-union structure, aimed at representing member...
Netherlands: interview with professor Kees Cools on managers’ pay
It did not reach a consensus for three reasons. First of all, we would have been the first and only country in the world to accept such a general standard. And then we would have taken the risk of...
11 February 2009
Italy: bill reforming the right to strike in essential public services presented to unions
eshold for unions calling for a strike, prior declaration of individual participation to the strike, sanctions for those violating standards and a possible obligation to carry out a...
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