Labour relations

The Hans Böckler trade union foundation has recently published its mid-term review for collective agreements in 2019, as well as a calendar for negotiations taking place in the remainder of 2019...

7 October 2019

Belgium: a banking sector agreement that focuses on training and teleworking

On 30 September, Belgium’s banking sector social partners including Febelfin (employers’ federation), and the CGSLB, FGTB, and CSC trade unions bodies signed an agreement that will apply to almost...

3 October 2019

Germany: persistent East-West pay gap

According to a survey by the Hans Böckler Foundation (trade unions) released two days ahead of Germany’s national unity day, and almost thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall...

2 October 2019

SUEZ : renewed European agreement on professional equality detailed by group industrial relations director

On 12 September 2019, global utilities group SUEZ signed a new European agreement on professional equality that applies to almost 61,000 staff working across all its subsidiaries Europewide. The...

2 October 2019

Greece: trade unions mobilize in protest at ‘Growth Policy draft law’

For the second time in September, private and public sector trade unions have called for strike action, this time to take place on 02 October. The unions are protesting the ‘Growth Policy draft...

1 October 2019

Ireland : coalition of NGOs and unions join international campaign for a four-day week

On 26 September in Ireland, the creation of a new “coalition of businesses, unions, environmentalists, academics and NGOs” was announced, in line with the international campaign to...

30 September 2019

Spain: new collective agreement and voluntary redundancy plan open to over-53s at Telefónica

Company leadership and trade unions (UGT and CCOO) at Telefónica agreed to renew the collective agreement that applies to the Spanish telecommunications group’s three main branches in its home...

30 September 2019

EU : industry trade union federation IndustriAll Europe launches campaign to promote collective bargaining

A seven-month campaign that seeks to demonstrate the positive impact of collective bargaining is in the offing. On Thursday 26 September, the trade union federation IndustriAll Europe launched its...

27 September 2019

United States: USW union secures a presence in a Google contractor company

On 24 September 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 80 employees at the IT services company HCL voted by a 61% majority to join the United Steelworkers Union and have the union represent their...

26 September 2019

Germany: chemicals union seeks the implementation f an ‘Account for the Future’ during the upcoming collective negotiations

On 19 September, and following earlier grass-roots consultations, the Federal Commission for the Chemicals and Energy sector union’s (IG BCE) collective negotiations published the trade union’s...

26 September 2019

Poland: social partners call on government to set up a new skills-enhancement fund

On 18 September 2019 during the Social Dialogue Council meeting, the social partners adopted a resolution calling on the government to set up a fund for bettering qualifications and competences...

26 September 2019

Germany: Verdi’s new president, Frank Werneke seeks to gain ground in companies without collective agreements

A page is turning for Germany’s second largest trade union.* The 1.9 million members of the services union Verdi are to get a new president as its founding leader Frank Bsirske (age 67) steps...

25 September 2019

Austria: Metallurgy sector collective negotiations get underway that ‘Should be heard in the tills!’

On 23 September in Austria’s capital Vienna, the head of the PRO-GE industry union, Rainer Wimmer used these words to summarize the goals of his own organization and that of the private...

25 September 2019

United States: a drivers association mobilizes to defend the AB 5 law

Behind Californian Assembly Bill 5 that facilitates the official recognition of employee status for drivers with Uber and its competitor, Lyft, can be found the RSDU association – the Rideshare...

25 September 2019

Italy: several sectors renew their national collective agreements

The renewal of the energy and oil sector national collective agreement (NCA), signed on 19 September 2019 (c.f. article No. 11365) has launched what is set to be a particularly busy period for...

24 September 2019

France: one out of two union members believe they have suffered discrimination by their employer due to their union involvement

The 12th annual barometer on the perception of workplace discrimination, published by France's Defender of Rights (an independent administrative authority which, among other things, is in charge...

23 September 2019

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5 March 2026

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29 January 2026

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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

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

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

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

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

UK: duty for employers to inform workers of their right to join a trade union postponed to 1 January 2027

The news. On 25 September, the British government published its response to a consultation launched on 23 October on the duty to inform workers of their right to join a trade union. The...

1 October 2026