News brief

EU: electricity social partners adopt a joint position on CSR
lectricity sector, Eurelectric for employers and EPSU and EMCEF for unions, signed, on June 22, a joint declaration on “the social aspects of corporate social responsibility in the European...
Italy: Fiat signs innovative agreement with union on better security at work
mproving health and safety at its factory, the Italian carmaker, Fiat, signed, on June 16, 2009, in Turin, with the sector’s unions Fim-Cisl, Fiom-CGIL, Uilm-Uil and Fismic an innovative...
L’Oréal: rider to the agreement establishing the EWC
cosmetics leader, the five French trade union organizations, the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) and the European Federation of Managers in the Chemical and...
Great Britain: new wave of strikes at the Lindsey refinery
se in British refineries. In Lindsey, the French oil manufacturer Total laid off, on June 19, 2009, 900 workers on an illegal strike for a week to protest against the layoff of 51 of their...
Germany: new partial unemployment measures
loyment boom three months before the legislative elections, the grand coalition developed a new law strengthening the partial unemployment system. Adopted on a last reading on June 19, 2009 by the...
EU: Spain gets 2,7 million euros for laid off workers in the auto sector
s in the auto sector in Castile y Leon and Aragon will receive a payment from the European Globalization adjustment Fund to retrain and find a new job. On June 11, the Council of Ministers...
EU: European summit offers guarantees to Ireland and Jose Manuel Barroso
eld on June 18-19, the heads of States and governments of the Twenty-Seven validated the application of the current president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, to succeed to...
Germany: Bundestag adopts Act limiting managers’ pay
German heads of businesses will have to take into account the company’s long-term success. Their civil liability in case of neglected duties will also be increased. These are the main...
Finland: bill on the liberalization of opening shops on Sunday
signed by the Service Union United (PAM) and employers’ organizations in November 2008, the bill presented by Minister of Labor Tarja Cronberg (Greens), is aimed at opening shops on Sunday...
Italy: Fiat presents industrial plan to government and unions
2009-10 confirmed for all Italian undertakings: this is the industrial plan the carmaker presented to unions and local governments during the meeting on the group’s future in Italy...
Austria: government announces measures to support employment and businesses
Arbeitsmarktpaket II), presented to the European Parliament on June 18, 2009, removes businesses’ contributions after the 7th month of partial unemployment. The maximum limit of this system...
Great Britain: British Airways asks staff to work for free for up to a month
d over 30,000 employees to take unpaid leave or work for free for one week up to one month to help the company survive, after it lost 401 million pounds (471 million euros) in one year. (Ref...
Netherlands: pension funds in the red zone
of the Netherlands announced that about twenty pension funds will have no other choice but to reduce their members’ payments next year. The government already left businesses free to leave...
Portugal: employees at Volkswagen Autoeuropa’s Palmela factory reject the flexibility agreement
europa’s Palmela factory, near Lisbon, rejected – with 51.6% of the votes – the new company agreement introducing more flexible working time. This brings back the spectrum of...
Axa: impending agreement renewing the insurer’s EWC
, French union organizations and the Uni European trade union – mandated by organizations from other countries – should sing an agreement renewing the agreement establishing...
France: four new recruitment premiums to boost youth employment
er the President announced an “Emergency Youth Employment Plan” of over one billion euros, four decrees, passed on June 15, 2009, temporarily introduce financial incentives for...
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
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
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France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
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EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
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Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...