Labour relations

According to the independent academic Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) within the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, sector collective agreement workers’ pay rises this year have outstripped...

14 December 2016

Germany: from 2018 Deutsche Bahn rail workers can choose between more money or more time off

Deutsche Bahn (DB) management and the large EVG rail union (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft) have written a new page in the history books. In Berlin on 12 December and following five rounds of...

13 December 2016

Spain: employees at the Vitoria Mercedes Benz (Basque region) site approve a new collective agreement against a backdrop of significant union division

The agreement intends for a 1.8% annual pay rise and permanent employment contracts for some 1,000 employees currently on temporary employment contracts. The agreement, negotiated solely by the...

13 December 2016

France: first working meeting on independent drivers between Uber and the CFDT union

Representatives from both Uber and the CFDT transport union met on 12 December to discuss the changing nature of the freelance chauffeur driver profession. At the close of the meeting a working...

13 December 2016

Argentina: planned mobilisation in the banking sector following foreign bank grouping’s refusal to sign agreement on salaries

Argentina’s banking sector appears set for a stormy week. The Asociación Bancaria, the union of banking workers, has announced a 24-hour strike which will take place on Thursday 15 December, and...

9 December 2016

Germany: Continental and the IG Metall and IG BCE unions adopt an innovative agreement for students in dual-training

In Germany dual-training at third level education standard is in full-swing, and the Continental group together with the metals unions IG Metall and the chemicals union IG BCE announced they had...

8 December 2016

Great Britain: agreement over pensions to save jobs at Tata Steel

The 'Save our Steel' campaign that UK unions have been running for several months is yielding results in so far as on 07 December the Indian Steel company Tata Steel committed to remaining in the...

8 December 2016

Spain: Basque social partners agree to come to the table in a bid to secure a specific framework for the region’s collective negotiations

Following years of confrontation, Euskadi’s (Basque country) four main union bodies and the region’s employers’ body have come together to jointly draw up a cross-industry agreement that will set...

6 December 2016

Audi looking to replace vehicle production lines at its new sites

More than a hundred years after Henry Ford invented the vehicle production line, Germany’s carmaker Audi is on the brink of revolutionizing its own production processes. Out go the traditional...

5 December 2016

Finland: new decentralised negotiation model hinders push to reach agreements for 2017

Traditionally, the model for negotiations in Finland has been heavily centralised. Trade unions, employers and the government would negotiate a tri-partite central deal to establish minimum wage...

5 December 2016

Spain: government announces 8% minimum wage increase, negotiated with socialist opposition

The agreed rise will bring the country’s minimum wage from €655.20 up to €707.61 per month over a 14-month period, which the government says marks the biggest change for 30 years. The trade unions...

2 December 2016

Germany: collective agreement reached in temporary industry applicable until 2019

On Wednesday 30 November, social partners from the temporary work sector put forward an outline for an agreement that offers wage increases in four phases. The size of the raises varies according...

2 December 2016

Spain : three questions to Gonzalo Pino, UGT Union Policy secretary

Gonzalo Pino, UGT Policy Unit secretary explained to Planet Labor why the organization is taking the lead over salaries, following years of a more moderate position.

30 November 2016

United States: a future pro-working class yet anti-union President ?

It is a well-known fact that Donald Trump the businessman and the trade unions are not the best of friends. However how will their relationship develop as the President-elect has to implement a...

30 November 2016

Germany: Labor Minister gives details on draft reforms aiming to meet the challenges of the digital transformation including boosting lifelong training and more labor flexibility

During a conference held in Berlin on 29 November, a year and a half after sounding the starting gun to ‘national dialogue on the future of work in the digital age, the Minister for Labor and...

29 November 2016

Great Britain: PM Theresa May wants more transparency in executive pay

On Tuesday 29 November, UK PM Theresa May unveiled proposals for the government’s future corporate governance reforms. In particular the PM intends for measures to put an end to excessive pay and...

29 November 2016

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France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

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

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

Italy: new collective agreement for mechanical engineering and metalworking sectors focuses on defending purchasing power

The deal struck on 22 November between Italy’s social partners in the mechanical engineering and metalworking sector brings an end to a long and contentious bargaining process. The agreement –...

25 November 2025