Belgium: union action in big call-centres to fight against stress
The national employees' union (CNE) and its Flemish equivalent, the LBC, have conducted public awareness campaigns in the country' s big call-centres. Entitled "Stop the BOSS (Burn Out Stress...
Germany: job-saving plan at Mercedes will cost less than expected
Mercedes Car Group, the subsidiary of Daimler Chrysler, will cut more jobs in Germany than previously thought, by the end of 2006. But paradoxically, the dismissal indemnities will be lower than...
Belgium : Confederation of Christian trade unions rips back-to-work plan for the unemployed
In October 2004, the national unemployment agency (Onem) launched the first meetings with the unemployed aimed at checking their behaviour as regards job hunting. For the second anniversary of...
Germany: Christmas bonuses are getting more and more variable
According to a study conducted by the Hans-Böckler foundation, the "Christmas bonus" ( Weihnachtsgeld) or "thirteenth month of salary" which used to be commonplace in Germany, is more and more...
France: discussions between trade unions and employers over labour market reform begins
Trade unions and employers, at the instigation of the latter, met on October 23rd to discuss the possible opening of negotiations over labor market reform. (Ref 061080)
Poland: trade union training courses to learn economics and finance
Brand new in Poland: during seventeen months, 1800 trade union activists will learn to read a balance sheet or will discover the secrets of management accounting. Starting this week, they will...
Germany : privatization of Deutsche Bahn now seems uncertain
Once more, the parties of the big coalition (CDU and SPD) failed to agree, during an important meeting on October 26th in Berlin, on how to privatize Deutsche Bahn AG. The following day, Transport...
Malta: government wants to change the mode of calculation of trade union enrolments
The Maltese government wants to reform the rules applying to trade unions as regards the determination of their enrolment. This comes after a controversy triggered by a trade union which had not...
Spain: HR directors have less and less influence on companies’ strategic decisions
HR directors are losing power when it comes to firms' management and strategic decisions, according to a study conducted by the ESADE institute in Barcelona. The study found that HR directors do...
Deutsche Telekom: 45 000 T-Com employees will be transferred to the new T-Service unit
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has just announced its intention to transfer some 45 000 employees of T-Com to its new subsidiary T-Service, with the aim to bring back salaries to a competitive level. DT...
Germany : BenQ’s bankruptcy affects its outside contractors
The bankruptcy of the cell phone producer BenQ (ex-Siemens), means the loss of 1900 jobs out of 3000. The outside contractors are also affected and are starting to lay off. IG Metall says 6000...
Allianz SE : « participation » chapter now in the agreement on workers’ involvement in the European company
The German insurance group Allianz, which announced its transformation into a European company, concluded an agreement on the involvement of workers in the European company (see article n°06938)...
Lithuania: trade unions and employers propose to increase minimum wage
Trade unions and employers would like the minimum wage to be raised, from 600 litas (173.77 euros) to 700 litas (202.73 euros) on January 1st 2007, but the Government has not yet approved this...
Eternit: a foundation for asbestos victims in Switzerland
On September 14th, 2006, Eternit created a foundation to financially support the employees of the Swiss plants of Payerne and Niederurnen which are ill due to asbestos, as well as their family...
25 October 2006
Great Britain : trade union Amicus launches information and prevention campaign related to crystalline silica
This campaign is a part of the European Safety Week and multi-sectoral agreement on breathable crystalline silica signed by European social partners on last April 25th and which has come into...
Daimler-Chrysler: the conflict between workers’ representatives in Germany worsens
How to deal with Daimler-Chrysler' s management? Since 1998, the official works council and a group of more critical staff representatives have been fighting over this question at the...
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
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
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...
5
Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...
6
France: generative AI and older workers central to BPCE’s skills management strategy
On 17 July 2025, BPCE and its trade unions signed a second agreement on jobs and career management within the banking group. The text places generative artificial intelligence at the core of its...