News brief

Brazil: President Lula da Silva asks workers to reduce their claims and help businesses
z Inacio Lula da Silva, used his past as a union leader to urge workers from his country and elsewhere to abandon improvements to their working conditions during the crisis. “This is no time...
Lithuania: union revival against the crisis
ans surveyed by the Baltic Surveys Institute said they trusted their unions (32% don’t). These results are much higher than those obtained by the government (23%) and the Parliament (15%)...
Great Britain: new labor dispute resolution procedures enforced
usinesses and employees will have to follow procedures detailed in the code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures developed by the Acas. In-depth examination of a long-awaited...
Italy: Fincantieri employees mobilized after the refusal of signatory unions do a referendum on the company agreement
Uilm Uil signed the company agreement with the management of shipbuilding company Fincantieri. The Fiom-CGIL rejected it and demanded employee consultation via a referendum. The signatories...
PPR: EWC rejects restructuring plan announced for France
f PPR met for an extraordinary session in Paris, about the restructuring which will affect people employed by Fnac and Conforama in France. Although it only affects employees in one country, the...
Netherlands: employers criticize partial unemployment
system, which replaces the Arbeidstijdverkorting (ATV, working time reduction) since April 1, is far from getting unanimous support. Employers from large groups badly affected by the crisis...
Poland: job cuts at Arcelor-Mittal Poland revive the debate on the future of metallurgical industries
the major drop in orders on the steel market, Arcelor-Mittal Poland increased the number of job cuts, which may exceed the 1.480 initially planned for 2009. Representatives of the metallurgical...
Spain: UGT union reelects Candido Mendez as general secretary after 40th Congress
ss on April 1-4, Candido Mendez was reelected with 93.2% of votes for (none against) and more support than four years ago – when he gathered 75.9% of the votes. This reelection confirms that...
Great Britain: 2.500 pounds subsidies for hiring long-term unemployed
ses are entitled to “golden hellos”: they will receive 1.000 pounds (1.100 euros) for hiring someone who has been receiving unemployment benefits for at least six months, and a package...
Belgium: one year to implement a policy on drugs and alcohol on the workplace
aken in the interprofessional agreement of February 2, 2007, the social partners signed, on April 1, 2009, a collective agreement on drugs and alcohol on the workplace. The goal is to give...
Germany: law on employees’ capital interest enforced
n of employees in the equity of companies” (Mitarbeiterkapitalbeteiligungsgesetz), voted on January 22, 2009 by the MPs of the majority (see our dispatch No. 090116) entered into force on...
ThyssenKrupp: the European Metalworkers’ Federation joins the IG Metall’s call for mobilization
on, IG Metall, called for an “emergency demonstration for the future and safety of employment” within ThyssenKrupp (180.000 employees) and is calling for a demonstration in Duisburg...
Sweden: national training program to increase the number of women on company boards
sh government launched a national training program for women (styrelsekraft) with two objectives: to make visible and distinguish women with competence for membership of company boards as well as...
Spain: the CEOE employers’ confederation re-elect Gerardo Diaz Ferran chairman
e Spanish employers’ confederation was re-elected by 83% of the votes, in spite of his reputation as a hardly consensual man within the organization and his fights with unions. He was the...
HP-EDS: the EWCs of the two groups say no voluntary wage cut program
cils of Hewlett-Packard and EDS met, on March 26-27, staff representatives expressed their opposition to the wage cuts – voluntary and permanent – proposed by HP’s European...
Great Britain: Equality and Human Rights Commission proposes to reform parental leave
th 5.3 billion pounds a year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission calls for a revision of parental leave to reduce the gender pay gap and involve men in family life. The CBI employers’...
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