News brief

Italy: Telecom Italia signs agreement with unions avoiding layoffs via solidarity contracts
Telecom Italia signed with the sector’s unions and thanks to the Minister of Labor who acted as a mediator, an agreement which avoids the 470 layoffs announced in May, via the adoption of...
Germany: IG-Metall demands employee participation in the capital of the future Volkswagen-Porsche
ve in and Volkswagen gradually took over auto activities, Berthold Huber, leader of the IG-Metall, and the two formerly rival chairmen of Porsche and VW’s works councils displayed unity. At...
Hungary: two exceptions to the Labor Code for temporary work declared unconstitutional
ne 2009, the Constitutional Court of Hungary declared that the provision of the Labor Code which provides that the protection against the termination of the labor contract in case of sick leave...
Latin America: businesses have growing difficulties recruiting skilled employees
top of the list drawn by Manpower of countries with a shortage of skilled workforce. In spite of the increase in the number of jobseekers, employers still have vacancies because they can’t...
Morocco: first bill on unemployment benefits in the history of Morocco isn’t convincing
yment for 6 months? This is unheard of in Morocco. However, unions remain skeptical about its scope and true application. Indeed, in most cases, employees in the private sectors aren’t even...
Germany: around 425,000 scientists and engineers could be needed by 2020
tute (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft), close to employers, and the Gesamtmetall steel employers’ federation published, on July 20, 2009, a study which shows that, in spite of the current...
Netherlands: legal uncertainties on the possibility to force an employee to retire at 65
cation of the rules on layoffs at 65, age when the employer can force an employee to retire. Seniors who want to keep working went to court to object to this possibility for employers. Since some...
Great Britain: Unite to consult members to launch a strike in construction
key trade union, announced that it was going to consult its 20,000 members in engineering and construction to launch a national strike after the summer. This is an answer to employers’...
Austria: government wants to transfer 1,200 civil servants from the post and telecom to the police
Heinisch-Hosek, Austrian Minister of Public Service and Women, proposed transferring some of the civil servants from the Österreischiche Post and Telekom Austria to the police. The idea is...
Italy: Cisl and Unitary Executives’ Confederation (CUQ) sign associative pact
ederation which, with its member organizations – Anqui, Confederquadri, Federquadri, Italquadri and Sinfub -gathers almost 100,000 “white-collars” in the trade industry...
Sweden: the young increasingly question unions’ all-might in determining wages
d political parties debated the worrying unemployment rate of young people during the traditional “Almedalen week” in Gotland on June 28-July 4, 2009, a study reveals that young...
Austria: Austrian Airline’s works councils accept three savings programs and a 5% wage cut to attract Lufthansa
management of Austrian Airlines (AUA) are ready to do just about anything so that Lufthansa, their German big sister, will buy their company, in very bad shape. From the beginning of 2009 until...
Italy: Fincantieri backs out and sings new company agreement with unions
on mobilization organized by the Fiom-CGIL to protest against the separate company agreement the management and the two other unions, Fim-Cisl and Uilm-Uil signed in April, Fincantieri, world...
Spain: professional experience will be validated
cil of Ministers approved several royal decrees initiating the recognition of professional knowledge as early as this year. They are aimed at making up for Spain’s delay in terms of...
Colgate-Palmolive: renewal of the agreement establishing the EWC in the wake of the new directive
ement of the American Colgate-Palmolive signed with the representatives of the European Forum (EWC) and the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) the renewal of the...
Germany: DGB calls for a renewal of the High Federal Antidiscrimination Authority
enforcement of the General Equal Treatment Act, the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) drew up, on July 16, 2009, a tough report of the activities of the High Federal Antidiscrimination...
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.
1
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
2
Greece: hospitality sector signs first collective agreement aligned with National Social Pact
The hospitality sector (125,000 employees), one of Greece’s largest industries after retail, signed a new two-year collective agreement on 17 March. The text, effective from 1 April 2026...
3
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
4
France: Club Med includes “multiculturalism” in its professional equality agreement
In December 2025, Club Med and the CFTC, Unsa, and FO trade unions signed an agreement on professional equality and working conditions. It introduces measures addressing AI, pay transparency, and...
23 March 2026
5
France: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...
6
Germany: a wave of redundancy plans in the automotive sector
The latest financial results presented in early 2026 by major German car manufacturers show sharp declines. This collapse in profits has triggered the announcement or confirmation of massive job...
16 March 2026