News brief

Germany: IG-Metall proposes the creation of a “sectoral fund” to fight against the heightened decrease in apprentices
mber of apprenticeship contracts in 2009, the IG-Metall is expecting another 10% drop for 2010. According to the union, this decrease is “jeopardizing the flagship of German vocational...
Slovakia: the law bringing labor law in compliance with European laws on atypical workers was permanently adopted
Assembly of the Slovakian Republic adopted an amendment to the Labor Code following the European Commission’s demands regarding the failure to transpose provisions on part-time work...
Denmark: negotiations for the collective agreement started in manufacturing
of the collective agreement in manufacturing started on January 6. Traditionally, the manufacturing agreement opens the season and has a pilot role for other negotiations. Unions demand stronger...
Tools: overview of union claims in 2010 in some France’s neighboring countries
l year for collective bargaining. Caution is still necessary for employers, while for the trade unions, even though safeguarding employment remains a priority, it is important that employees...
Sweden: Ericsson announces nearly 1,000 layoffs in its Gävle plant and opens talks with unions
n announced more layoffs, this time on the Gävle and Boras plants, following the leave program developed and implemented in 2009 for the Stockholm, Huldiksvall, Karlskrona and Lulea sites...
Great Britain: code of practice on time off for union representatives
code of practice on union representatives’ time off for union activities was enforced. This code, made by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), updates the initial 2003...
Germany: hardly launched, the new “ELENA” workers’ database sparks off controversy
e ever made in Germany was launched on January 1. In accordance with the “Law on the ELENA process” of March 28, 2009, all businesses have to give a central organization, once a month...
EU: report points to energy EWCs’ poor participation in CSR policies
ed out by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the Social Development Agency (SDA) entitled “Learning and EWC practices in the European Energy Sector,” a study...
5 January 2010
Germany: employers call for wage moderation for 2010 collective bargaining
year, which should be punctuated by no less than 84 collective negotiations affecting about 9.4 million employees in different sectors, a growing number of businesses and economic experts are in...
Denmark: negotiations for the renewal of CCN in the private sector could be contentious
g to have to make special efforts to avoid the social conflicts which might arise from the renegotiation of collective agreements. This is what comes out of an analysis carried out by the Labor...
Netherlands: debate on arduous work and retirement at 67
vernment declined a proposal presented by unions and employers to allow low-income workers to escape retirement at 67 as provided by the reform in the offing. Unions think this income limit is a...
Sweden: services get a cooperation agreement (samarbetsvatal)
ions, and like the industry, services just got a cooperation agreement (samarbetsvatal) signed between Unionen (union of private sector employees), Sveriges Ingenjorer (engineering union), Jusek...
Portugal: government imposes 475 euros minimum wage in 2010 in spite of employers’ opposition
ings, the Portuguese government decided to impose a 25 euros increase for national minimum wage (SMN), bringing it from 450 up to 475 euros a month. This decision is in line with the agreements...
Luxembourg: State Council gives lukewarm consent to the draft amendment of posting provisions
ropean Court of Justice on September 13, 2007 (Case C-319/06) condemning Luxembourg for failing to respect Directive 96/71 on the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services...
Italy: banking social partners sign agreement reviving the sector’s “solidarity fund”
mber 16 by the banking social partners improves social protection of employees affected by the crisis who aren’t entitled to social dampers. To that end, a new unit of the sector’s...
Germany: metal social partners sign “crisis agreement” on worker exchange in North Rhine-Westphalia
egional federation in North Rhine-Westphalia signed an agreement with the region’s five sectoral employers’ organizations to allow leasing employees between businesses. This crisis...
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
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
2
Germany: IG Metall demands 5% pay rise amid severe pressure
Despite the crisis hitting the automotive industry, the leadership of the German trade union IG Metall announced on Wednesday 23 September that it would be asking for a 5% pay increase as well as...
23 September 2026
3
Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
4
Slovakia: 6% increase in the minimum wage from 1 January 2027
The news. As Slovakia’s social partners failed to reach an agreement during tripartite negotiations, Labour Minister Erik Tomas has decided to increase the minimum wage by 6% from 1 January...
1 September 2026
5
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
6
EU: Commission proposes a list of worker-related criteria for public procurement
The news. On 9 September, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation aimed at unifying European public procurement law, which accounts for 15% of European GDP. It is notably set...
17 September 2026