Germany: cabinet heavily waters down due diligence law National legislation Loro Piana, a historic Italian luxury brand best known for its fine wools, now controlled by LVMH, has been placed under judicial administration for one year for failing to verify working conditions in its production chain, after the production subsidiaries of Armani, Dior and Valentino suffered the same fate. Loro Piana is alleged to have negligently contributed to a system of worker exploitation, particularly of Chinese workers in illegal workshops in northern Italy.
United Kingdom: German discount chain Aldi keeps its promise to be the best-paying supermarket Comp and Ben @en The 28,000 British employees of German discount supermarket chain Aldi were handed a 1.9% pay rise on 1 September. In July, the retailer announced that the minimum hourly wage would rise from £12.75 to £13.00 (€14.66 to €14.95),…
Réglementaire New Zealand: employees now allowed to disclose their pay at work National legislation New Zealand has banned retaliation against employees who disclose their salaries at work. The bill, introduced by a Labour opposition MP,…
Norway: range of programmes launched to boost employment National legislation Norway’s Labour government has announced various measures this summer aimed both at tackling workplace crime and improving the integration of young people and those distant from the labour market. The initiative is intended to boost workforce participation and cut reliance on social benefits.
Germany: 10 years on from the great ‘wave’, the integration of refugees into the labour market is largely working National legislation A decade on from Angela Merkel's 'Wir schaffen das' ('we can do this') speech on 31 August 2015, in the face of a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Germany, researchers and media outlets are conducting more studies on how well the migrants who arrived in Germany during that period have integrated into the labour market. The findings suggest integration is largely succeeding, despite a tougher economic and political climate.
Réglementaire Czech Republic: minimum wage to rise by 7.7% on 1 January 2026 National legislation Czech labour minister Marian Jurečka, of the Christian and Democratic Union, announced on 29 August that the gross minimum wage will rise 7.7% from CZK 20,800 to CZK 22,400 (€916) per month starting 1 January 2026.…
Réglementaire Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum confirms plan to raise the minimum wage National legislation The minimum wage in Mexico must be raised annually over the next few years to represent 2.5 basic baskets (a set of products and services considered essential for the survival and well-being of a family),…
United Kingdom: government sets about reforming parental leave National legislation The Labour government, in office for just over a year, has pledged to drive economic growth and tackle workplace inequality. Among its priorities is a review of parental leave, with ministers promising to make the system "fairer and easier to use".
Germany: government approves bill tying public contracts to collective agreement adherence National legislation On 6 August, Germany’s Federal Cabinet approved a draft law that would require companies bidding for public contracts to comply with sectoral collective agreements. The measure is intended to revive declining membership of such agreements and curb unfair competition from firms that refuse to recognise them.
Réglementaire United Kingdom: step towards single minimum wage for all adult workers National legislation On 5 August, the UK Labour government reviewed the remit of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) with a view to putting an end to age-related minimum wage differentials.…
