News brief

Germany: trainers and apprenticeship supervisors will have to provide evidence of registered training as of August 1, 2009
irective on trainers’ training” (Ausbilder-Eignungsverordnung / AEVO), which was suspended in 2003, will be applicable again. All trainers will have to provide evidence of certified...
Sweden: new collective agreement makes call centers more ethical
n trade union and Almega employers’ federation signed a collective agreement. Launched in 2008, the negotiations were aimed at cleaning up the call-center sector. The agreement should put an...
EU: the new regulation to coordinate social security systems to be applied soon
uncil of Ministers approved the text applying Regulation No. 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems. This permanent adoption allows the new rules which govern the rights to social...
Brazil: “wage campaign” for metalworkers and banking employees launched
s opened annual wage negotiations. On July 23, they celebrated the beginning of the “wage campaign” expressing their claims on a real wage increase assorted with working time...
Italy: Telecom Italia signs agreement with unions avoiding layoffs via solidarity contracts
Telecom Italia signed with the sector’s unions and thanks to the Minister of Labor who acted as a mediator, an agreement which avoids the 470 layoffs announced in May, via the adoption of...
Germany: IG-Metall demands employee participation in the capital of the future Volkswagen-Porsche
ve in and Volkswagen gradually took over auto activities, Berthold Huber, leader of the IG-Metall, and the two formerly rival chairmen of Porsche and VW’s works councils displayed unity. At...
Hungary: two exceptions to the Labor Code for temporary work declared unconstitutional
ne 2009, the Constitutional Court of Hungary declared that the provision of the Labor Code which provides that the protection against the termination of the labor contract in case of sick leave...
Latin America: businesses have growing difficulties recruiting skilled employees
top of the list drawn by Manpower of countries with a shortage of skilled workforce. In spite of the increase in the number of jobseekers, employers still have vacancies because they can’t...
Morocco: first bill on unemployment benefits in the history of Morocco isn’t convincing
yment for 6 months? This is unheard of in Morocco. However, unions remain skeptical about its scope and true application. Indeed, in most cases, employees in the private sectors aren’t even...
Germany: around 425,000 scientists and engineers could be needed by 2020
tute (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft), close to employers, and the Gesamtmetall steel employers’ federation published, on July 20, 2009, a study which shows that, in spite of the current...
Netherlands: legal uncertainties on the possibility to force an employee to retire at 65
cation of the rules on layoffs at 65, age when the employer can force an employee to retire. Seniors who want to keep working went to court to object to this possibility for employers. Since some...
Great Britain: Unite to consult members to launch a strike in construction
key trade union, announced that it was going to consult its 20,000 members in engineering and construction to launch a national strike after the summer. This is an answer to employers’...
Austria: government wants to transfer 1,200 civil servants from the post and telecom to the police
Heinisch-Hosek, Austrian Minister of Public Service and Women, proposed transferring some of the civil servants from the Österreischiche Post and Telekom Austria to the police. The idea is...
Italy: Cisl and Unitary Executives’ Confederation (CUQ) sign associative pact
ederation which, with its member organizations – Anqui, Confederquadri, Federquadri, Italquadri and Sinfub -gathers almost 100,000 “white-collars” in the trade industry...
Sweden: the young increasingly question unions’ all-might in determining wages
d political parties debated the worrying unemployment rate of young people during the traditional “Almedalen week” in Gotland on June 28-July 4, 2009, a study reveals that young...
Austria: Austrian Airline’s works councils accept three savings programs and a 5% wage cut to attract Lufthansa
management of Austrian Airlines (AUA) are ready to do just about anything so that Lufthansa, their German big sister, will buy their company, in very bad shape. From the beginning of 2009 until...
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
Import bans on forced labor products are multiplying
Under pressure from new US tariffs, many countries have presented texts in recent weeks to ban the import of products made with forced labor. A real breakthrough for workers' rights or a mere...
9 September 2026
2
Germany: a “simplification” proposal for the Corporate Governance Code
In early August, the Government Commission presented proposals to reform the Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex (DCGK), Germany’s Corporate Governance Code. The proposals are primarily aimed at...
31 August 2026
3
France: EDF served formal notice for failure to comply with its sustainability due diligence obligations
The news. On 23 September, Greenpeace France announced that it had served EDF with a formal notice for failure to comply with its sustainability due diligence obligations due to the risks of harm...
24 September 2026
4
Slovakia: a bill to “clarify” personal data protection measures
The news. The Slovak government approved a bill on personal data protection on August 26, 2026. This text aims to clarify existing regulations regarding employees’ rights and...
7 September 2026