News brief

Spain: Workers’ Commissions demand compensation fund for asbestos victims
enced the Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) Company to pay damages to the family of a former employee who died of a pleural cancer, because it didn’t set up prevention...
Belgium: first demonstration outside negotiations of the auxiliary joint employees committee
h-speaking federations of the Christian trade union, the CNE and the LBC-NVK, protest against the ongoing talks within the joint committee 218, a collective bargaining structure gathering all...
Netherlands: dishonest temp agencies targeted by inspection services
‘s inspection services (Sociale Inlichtingen en Opsporingsdienst, SIOD) controlled 70 temporary work agencies and found out that 48 were “fraudulent.” (Ref. 090598) This is...
Sweden: Scania signs company agreement cutting working time and wages
the heavyweight and bus manufacturer Scania announced the conclusion of a collective agreement establishing the four-day week and a 10% wage cut for six months. The two largest union organizations...
Denmark: Ministry of Labor publishes legal note evaluating employees’ freedom of expression
r published the first issue of a series of “legal notes” to improve labor law information. It concerns the protection of the freedom of expression, notably whistleblowing, for...
Poland: permanent adoption of the amendment on the appointment of board members
rt invalidated several provisions of the law of April 7, 2006 on the information and consultation of workers, the Senate adopted, on May 28, a text which amends the way board members are...
Germany: after the agreement with the IG Metall, Schaeffler guarantees employment until mid-2010
agreement signed with the IG Metall in February, the car part manufacturer announced, in early may, that it wanted to part with 4,500 of its German employees. Those employees started breathing...
European Elections: European right-wing parties in favor of the protection of national social standards
People’s Party is the largest political force in the European Parliament. In a Europe dominated by conservative governments, it should remain so after the European elections in June. While...
Netherlands : a measure to protect research and development jobs
lized one of their promises made at the time of the social agreement passed at the end of March in face of the crisis: it will give 280 million euros to the protection of jobs in research and...
EU : uncertainties about Irish social requirements on the Lisbon Treaty
n summit where the Twenty-Seven should set the date for the holding of a new referendum in Ireland about the Lisbon Treaty, the discussions between member States block over the requirements of the...
Austria: the Austrian Post announces partial privatization of its activities and prepares for social conflict
ralization of the Austrian Post (Postgesetz) is at the stage of the consultation procedure, the management of the Österreischiche Post AG (OPAG) has just announced that it is going to...
Spain: railway unions apprehensive about the decentralization of rail network management in Catalonian suburbs
ster of Transport and Infrastructures, José Blanco, concerning the transfer of the management of Catalonian suburban trains (Cercanias) to the region starting January 1, 2010, has provoked...
General Motors Europe: management terminates European framework agreement on working time reduction signed at Opel
vings program amounting to 1bn euros presented at Opel, GME’s management announced a cut in managers’ wages and terminated a framework agreement which provided, among others, that...
Germany: Opel’s WC condemns Fiat’s plans
is plan for the recovery of Opel – a subsidiary of the American General Motors, to the German Minister for Economic Affairs – Theodor zu Guttenberg – Sergio Marchionne, leader of...
EU: Commission to revise its draft after MEPs reject its proposed revision of the directive on working time for truck drivers
cted, on May 5, the proposition made by the European Commission to revise the directive on working time in road transport. Since the proposition didn’t include independent workers, the...
Austria: trial of strength between the social partners on wage cut
blocked in seven branches with employers demanding more company agreements and a year with no or hardly any wage increases. At the same time certain firms, led by the Austro-Canadian car parts...
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
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