France: Dalkia commits to achieving 6% employment rate for disabled employees by 2026 National industrial relations French energy company Dalkia and its trade unions (CGT, CFDT and CFE-CGC) have renewed their agreement on the "employment, professional integration and career development of people with disabilities" for a further three years. The company, which has set itself the goal of being recognised as a welcoming and inclusive employer of people with disabilities, is targeting a 6% employment rate for disabled workers by the end of the new agreement, in 2026.
Italy: Poste Italiane paves way for four-day week and endometriosis leave National industrial relations Poste Italiane, Italy's postal service provider and the country's largest employer with 120,000 staff, renewed its collective agreement at the end of July. The agreement makes it possible to trial a four-day week in certain departments and makes steps forward on work-life balance. It also introduces leave for women suffering from severe endometriosis. The agreement is due to be approved by the workers' assemblies in September..
Germany: collective bargaining kicks off in metalworking industry National industrial relations Collective bargaining in the metalworking industry between the IG Metall union and the employers’ federation Gesamtmetall began on Wednesday 11 September in the districts of Baden-Württemberg,…
Germany: Volkswagen terminates collective agreement on job security in force for 30 years National industrial relations Volkswagen management has formally terminated a number of collective agreements, including the job security agreement, which has been in force since 1994 and is valid until 2029. Redundancies may be planned from July 2025. Negotiations will begin in the coming days.
United Kingdom: government urges unions and employers to unite National industrial relations The UK’s Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the annual meeting of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, south-east England, on 10 September. He was the first British head of government to attend the event for 15 years.…
Italy: retail sector collective agreement introduces new professional profiles National industrial relations The collective agreement for Italy's mass market retail sector has finally been renewed, five years after its predecessor expired. The main new feature is an overhaul of the job and salary grid to reflect changes in the sector, particularly due to the rise of e-commerce and digitalisation. The collective agreement, which covers some 220,000 workers in major retail chains, also provides for an average pay rise of €240, and measures to promote equality and part-time workers.
Germany: IG Metall floats idea of four-day week at Volkswagen National industrial relations Since Volkswagen's shock announcement last Thursday of likely redundancies and plant closures in Germany for its flagship VW brand, trade unions and politicians have been bracing themselves for difficult negotiations. IG Metall, the majority union in the company, is rejecting factory closures and redundancies as "absolute red lines".
Netherlands: unions plan week of strikes in push to maintain the early retirement scheme National industrial relations On 7 September, the Dutch trade unions FNV, CNV and VCP launched a week of strike action to reach an agreement with the government and employers on maintaining the Early Retirement Scheme (RVU).…
Italy: gender equality at heart of new footwear sector collective agreement National industrial relations The social partners in Italy's footwear sector, which employs around 75,000 people, reached an agreement in July to renew their collective agreement. In addition to an average pay rise of €191, the new deal provides for progress in areas such as gender equality and work-life balance.
Germany: battle for jobs in the offing at Volkswagen National industrial relations The iconic German carmaker has sparked fury among employees and staff representatives by announcing the possible closure of factories in Germany, the termination of the job guarantee agreement and the prospect of redundancies. The IG Metall union is up in arms and painful negotiations are on the horizon.
