News brief

Sweden: Sandvik’s new company agreement provides for 500 leaves, including about 100 for demotivated or low-skilled workers
egotiated in June 2009 is nearing its end, Sandvik, world equipment leader, negotiated with unions indirect means to have 500 collaborators leave. One of the planned measures is to encourage...
Spain: unions angered by the government’s tactlessness on the pension case
2009-13″ sent by the government to Brussels turned unions and people’s heads upside down. In this document, the government expressed its will to bring from 15 to 25 the number of years...
Italy: Intesa Sanpaolo signs group agreement on employment with exceptions to the CCN’s minimum rules
lo signed an agreement with banking unions on an employment program for the group. The Fisac-CGIL refused to sign the text which provides that, for four years, new employees’ wages will be...
Netherlands: new collective agreement in metalworking and electrotechnical engineering
n the heavy industry in the Netherlands will keep enjoying early retirement at 62 thanks to the new collective agreement signed on January 25 by the FME employers’ organization and the FNV...
Romania: government prolongs the temporary unemployment system established in 2009
ystem the Romanian government established in 2009 to protect employees in ailing businesses should finally be extended in 2010, following union pressure. Temporarily laid off employees will keep...
EU: joint declaration from insuring social partners on the sector’s demographic challenges
ialog committee held on January 26, Uni Finance (unions), Bipar (European Federation of Insurance Intermediaries), Amice (Association of Mutual Insurers and Insurance Cooperatives) and the CEA...
Great Britain: fathers can take six months’ paternity leave if mother shortens her maternity leave
ers may be entitled to a six-month paternity leave during the second six months of the child’s life if the mother goes back to work. Three out of these six months will be paid. This measure...
Spain: government wants to bring retirement age from 65 to 67
f Minister approved a document containing elements to reform the pension scheme. Now, these proposals have to be sent to the Parliamentary Committee of the Toledo Pact which monitors the...
France: Goodyear Dunlop to stop restructuring of Amiens Nord site until EWC consultation is complete
ary 27, the Court of Appeal of Versailles suspended the implementation of the restructuring plan of the Amiens Nord establishment until the consultation of the EWC is complete. This decision...
Germany: Federal Administrative Court cancels minimum wage in postal sector
al Administrative Court ruled, on January 28 in Leipzig, that the procedure which led the German government, in 2007, to extend to the entire postal sector the minimum wage negotiated between the...
Germany: Opel’s WC calls on all the European employees of the group to protest, on January 26, against the shutdown of the Antwerp plant
l, announced the shutdown of the Antwerp plant on January 21, the conflict between unions and the parent company, General Motors, toughened. Qualifying this decision of a “declaration of...
United States: the results of the Massachusetts senatorial elections jeopardize the draft reform of health insurance and the Employee Free Choice Act
blican Senator in Massachusetts changes the power struggle in Congress and weakens cases supported by American unions, such as the reform of health insurance and the Employee Free Choice Act...
Sweden: learning agreement in the wood industry departs from layoff order to keep young skilled workers
e wood and furniture sector signed by the GS union (Forest, Wood and Graphic Workers’ Union) and its employers’ counterpart, Tra och moberlindustriforbundet (furniture and wood...
Austria: banking employees get a 1.36% raise
to go through the four statutory negotiating meetings to reach, on Tuesday, January 19, a wage agreement. The sector’s 80,000 employees will see their salary increase of 0.75% on February 1...
Great Britain: family policy at the heart of the electoral debate
s, the Department for Children, Schools and Families presented, on January 20, a Green Paper on Families which contains several proposals on how to improve work-life balance. It notably promises a...
Colombia: 3.64% minimum wage increase after failed negotiations between the social partners
a 3.64% minimum wage increase after the recurrent stalemate of negotiations between unions and employers on the issue. The increase is lower than planned inflation in 2010 – 2%, like in...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
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United Kingdom: government urged to legislate against forced labour
After consulting victims, businesses and NGOs, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) has published a report showing that the UK is lagging behind in the fight against forced labour. The...
13 January 2026
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EU: European Parliament calls for a directive on just transition
On 20 January, MEPs approved, with 420 votes in favour, an own-initiative report calling for a just transition directive. The text calls for the protection of workers to be guaranteed in the...
20 January 2026