Labour relations

The ruling handed down on 14 May 2019 by the CJEU on the requirement to record daily working times (c.f. article No. 11127) has sparked a backlash in Germany for which there are several reasons...

16 May 2019

France: Main French EU election list’s social platforms

Following on from out focus reports on Germany (c.f. article No. 11105), Poland (c.f. article No. 11199), and Sweden (c.f. article No. 11128), we continue our tour around pre-election Europe with...

16 May 2019

Sweden: political parties social platforms in run up to European elections

Political life in Sweden is shaped by the aftermath of its 2018 legislative elections, which, following several months of deadlock and a hung parliament, concluded in a second minority government...

15 May 2019

Unilever: joint commitment signed with IndustriALL Global Union and the IUF to guarantee rights of temporary workers and promote sustainable employment

IndustriALL Global Union, the IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations), and Unilever have signed an agreement to limit...

13 May 2019

Germany: ThyssenKrupp pledges to avoid economic layoffs as far as possible, following collapse of planned merger with Tata

After a plan to merge its steel business with that of Indian group Tata Steel collapsed, German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp announced on 10 May that some 6,000 jobs would be cut by 2022...

13 May 2019

Spain: redundancy plan agreed at Caixabank, against a backdrop of union disagreement

After four months of negotiations between the majority of trade union representation at Caixabank and the bank’s leadership over a redundancy plan (Expediente de Regulación de Empleo, ERE), an...

13 May 2019

Amazon: a global trade union network being set up in an effort to shift practices by the online retailing giant

Invited by Germany’s Ver.di union (United Services Trade Union), on 29 and 30 April trade unions from the services and retail sectors across 15 different countries, along with representatives from...

9 May 2019

Poland: national politics dominating European election manifestos

Following our initial overview of the German political parties’ European election manifestos (c.f. article No. 11105) we continue our European review with this focus on Poland. Notable here is the...

9 May 2019

Germany: chemical and metallurgy employers’ bodies disagree over ‘tax bonus’ for companies that apply collective agreements

How can the erosion of collective agreements and co-determination be effectively stemmed? This question has been more than niggling the political and trade union worlds for a decade. In 2015 and...

6 May 2019

China: tech workers spark debate over relentless working culture, by raising awareness of their situation

At the end of March, a group of programmers in China set up the webpage 996.ICU, to bring attention to the lengthy working hours that are common practice in the country’s tech sector (see articles...

3 May 2019

Korian: signs agreement to establish an EWC

On 29 April 2019, Korian, a leading French multinational provider of medical and non-medical care and support services for the elderly and people with short or longer-term health issues across a...

30 April 2019

China: laborer’s outrage sparks an unprecedented wave of media attention

On 11 April a construction worker posted a video showing a striking difference in quality between regular builders’ protection helmets and those worn by site supervisors. Holding a regular...

30 April 2019

Germany: working time in textile sector in east and west to be aligned by 2027 under new agreement in east German sector (in brief)

The plan is part of a deal agreed during the night of 29 April between the union IG Metall and the employer federation VTI (for the textile industry in Lander in East Germany). It is the principle...

30 April 2019

Portugal: walkout in the retail sector set for 1 May

Following a call by the CESP, the trade union of retail and services workers – a member union of the FEPCES, the Portuguese federation of trade unions for retail, services and office workers...

30 April 2019

Germany: outline of the major political parties’ European election social manifestos

In the run up to the May elections what are Germany’s major political parties proposals in terms of labor policy? At first glance one can observe a marked return to polarization with the right...

29 April 2019

United States: Google employees speak out against group

Several hundred Google employees and contractors met on Friday 26 April at a town hall, which was broadcast live so as to be seen by as many people as possible, to talk about the retaliatory...

29 April 2019

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The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...

8 December 2025

mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators

In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...

31 October 2025

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...

20 October 2025

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...

15 October 2025

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Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”

On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...

3 December 2025

Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle

In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...

2 December 2025

Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining

On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...

2 December 2025

EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI

On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...

18 December 2025

Inditex European works council mobilises on value sharing

In a joint statement, 10 trade unions comprising the European works council of the Inditex clothing group are calling for rallies in Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany...

24 November 2025

Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement

Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...

12 December 2025