News brief

United States: Richard Trumka elected as the new head of the AFL CIO union
60, is the new leader of the AFL CIO, the powerful American 57-union federation representing 11 million members. He was elected in mid-September during the Pittsburg convention, replacing retiring...
Finland: negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements started
are preparing, with the crisis in the background, to renegotiate the collective agreements which will expire between January and April 2010, both in the public and in the private sector. In the...
EU: Eurofound’s 2008 industrial relations report
crisis. In its report on industrial relations in 2008, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin) describes the first half of 2008 as continuous. Wage...
EU: European Commission agrees to EGF funding for Irish employees laid off by Dell
f the European Commission, announced, on September 19, that the EU was ready to pay for the reconversion program for Dell’s Irish workers – up to 14.8 million euro, via the European...
Poland: ITF launches support campaign for LOT workers
the polish airline were laid off and after the management unilaterally terminated a company agreement, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (IFT) launched an international...
Germany: construction union lays the foundations for “alternative” wage negotiations
ress (20th Gewerkschaftstag – September 14-17), the IG BAU announced a reorientation of its stands for future collective bargaining. On the menu: high wage increases and minimum claims above...
Portugal: workers in ailing businesses get better protection if wages are temporarily not paid
r 14 introduces better protection for workers if their ailing business can temporarily not pay their wages, by suspending their labor contract to receive unemployment benefits. (Ref. 090855) The...
Netherlands: government envisions encouraging employees change careers after a certain number of years performing arduous work
wants to reform the labor market from top to bottom to avoid people who are physically or mentally exhausted at the end of their career. The goal is to ensure there will be no exceptions when...
Great Britain: TUC’s annual congress focused on economic policy
C union was held in Liverpool on September 14-17. Unions called for a new policy protecting jobs, pensions and the middle classes. Gordon Brown promised he would protect jobs in the public sector...
Brazil: auto workers at Sao Paulo get a pay raise used as a goal by other metalworkers on strike
union obtained a 6.53% wage increase – higher than inflation – for the 53,000 workers of the car plants in Sao Paulo. However, the new collective agreement doesn’t affect workers...
Denmark: unions first in line against social dumping
ions have been involved, for two weeks, with the embargo of a construction site in the city of Valby (Copenhagen) to obtain a collective agreement for the twelve posted polish workers...
Italy: Fiom-CGIL confirms intention to launch a national strike in metalworking on October 9
ccanica employers’ federation rejected the proposition made by the Fiom-CGIL, largest metalworkers’ union, to conclude a temporary agreement to avoid the adoption of a separate...
Portugal: new act introduces new tax system for golden parachutes
(No. 100/09) introduces a special tax system for managers’ benefits if they leave the company earlier than expected. It also amends corporations’ tax code to introduce a 35% tax for...
EU: BusinessEurope wrote a note on the impact of the new EWC directive on existing agreements
ch led to the new revised EWC directive, the European social partners are taking care of after-sale services by making their lawyer work on the effects of the new text. The European Trade Union...
Spain: Supreme Court decision makes mass layoffs more flexible
h 18, 2009, aimed at “harmonizing case laws,” the social chamber of the supreme court set the principle according to which the opening of a procedure for mass layoffs (employment...
General Motors: Magna’s takeover of Opel creates fear
d by the German government for the recovery of the German carmaker Opel bring fears of a restructuring program affecting, at first, employees in Belgium, Spain and Hungary. On Monday, September...
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: Medef puts forward proposals to improve management quality
On 31 August, Medef, French main employers' organisation, published a practical guide to managerial skills, which it considers to be a driver of economic performance for businesses. Concerned by...
2
AI: uneven integration but a global challenge for the world of work
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business is profoundly transforming the world of work, and some occupations are now under threat. However, the full extent of its effects remains...
3
France: Ministry of Labour unveils plan to accelerate the rollout of AI
On 22 September, the French Ministry of Labour presented a plan named Impulsion IA 2027 aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI by companies and employees. It contains 12 measures applicable from...
4
Germany: AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt raises concerns over labour supply and workplace cohesion
The rise of Germany’s far-right AfD, which could soon gain influence over migration policy in Saxony-Anhalt and, following elections on September 20, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well, is...
5
Netherlands: towards a ban on housing cost deductions from migrant workers’ wages
The news. On September 10, Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Hans Vijlbrief (centre-left) sent a letter to the House of Representatives, stating that he intends to prohibit employers...
6
UE: Commission proposes measures to facilitate “fair” worker mobility across the Union
The info. On 15 September, the European Commission adopted a series of measures aimed at encouraging “fair” worker mobility within the EU. It wants to remove the administrative...