News brief

United States: greatness and decline of American unionism
American unions have been declining, their total size going from 35 to 12.4%. This can be explained by several external factors (political will to decrease their influence, industrial decline)...
France: MPs want to make progress on the definition of French-style flexicurity
Parliamentary mission in charge of clarifying the notion of French-style flexicurity, headed by UMP MP Pierre Morange, accelerated social partners’ hearings to render conclusions by the...
Denmark: seniors stay at work in spite of the crisis
niors stay at work in spite of the crisis. In the first quarter of 2009, the number of voluntary early retirements dropped of 6,900 units compared with the first quarter of 2008, whereas the...
Spain: Andalusian unions denounce frozen negotiations for the renewal of 80% of the region’s collective agreements
s, UGT and Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), are protesting against the attitude of employers’ organizations which refuse to bargain for the renewal of collective agreements, and against...
Estonia: more flexibility on the labor market on July 1
t step for Estonia, with the enforcement of the new law on the labor contract which introduces flexibility in layoff law. The next day, a 4.2% increase of unemployment insurance contributions was...
Germany: Commerzbank forgoes any layoffs by 2013
ing over the Dresdner Bank, the Commerzbank signed, on July 2, 2009, with its works council, an agreement defining the modalities for the integration of about 20,000 employees from the Dresdner...
Spain: government wants self-employed workers to enjoy unemployment insurance
e for independent workers prepared by the Minister of Labor gives them the possibility to have unemployment insurance. The benefits would last for six months maximum. Workers who want to enjoy it...
Austria: Parliament unanimously votes for the extension of short-time working
m duration of short-time working from 18 to 24 months on July 1, 2009. It is the key measure of the “package for the employment market” (Arbeitsmarkt-Paket II) which all the MPs...
Denmark: SAS airlines breaks off negotiations on a new wage cutting plan
an Airlines System (SAS) announced, on Monday, July 6, a halt to the negotiations on a new wage cut after the first one in January. Norwegian and Swedish unions accepted it provided that the 39...
France: key measures of the interprofessional agreement on “managing the consequences of the economic crisis on employment”
rs agreed on a series of extraordinary measures – with short-time working as a centerpiece – aimed at downplaying the social impact of the crisis. (Ref. 090722) Improving short-time...
Netherlands: department store staff deprived of pay raise to save jobs
ment of the V&D Dutch department store individually asked its 11,500 employees to voluntarily give up the 3.3% pay raise provided for in the collective agreement, proposing that it be...
Great Britain: employers propose an alternative to layoffs by “pausing” employees
for six months maximum and give them twice the amount of unemployment benefits: this is the suggestion made by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) on July 6, 2009. It is aimed at helping...
Italy: Constitutional Court annuls provision which allowed avoiding the reintegration of precarious workers
ndard”, the provision was introduced by the Berlusconi government in August 2008 to reduce the costs of disputes between former employees on a fixed-term contract and the Italian post. The...
British Airways: management to inform and consult EWC for national measures
on on June 30, the British airline’s staff and management representatives signed a declaration of principles on consultation and information for national restructuring measures. The...
Italy: collective agreements may be renewed via separate agreements
ns to renew national collective agreements (CCN), which follows the union break caused by the reform of the conventional system, started with the presentation of separate platforms in electricity...
Spain: government tries to complete agreement on the reform of the labor market with the social partners
inst the clock and trying to revive social dialog by organizing bilateral meetings with employers and unions. It proposed measures which should please both parties…without success. The...
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
British bank Barclays cuts 5,000 jobs to invest in AI
Banking group Barclays has announced the cutting of 5% of its global workforce by the end of the year. Beyond disappointing quarterly results, Barclays primarily intends to free up the funds...
2
Germany: non-EU recruitment remains marginal despite skilled immigration reform
The news. Nearly a year and a half after the entry into force of the “Skilled Immigration Development Act”, only 4% of businesses have recruited at least one employee directly from a...
3
EU: several social texts promised for 2027
The news. On 4 November, the European Commission presented its work programme for 2027. While the focus is once again on simplification, several social texts have been announced. The European...
4
EU: Commission presents strategy for vocational training
The news. On 5 November, the European Commission published its 2026-2030 strategy for vocational education and training. The text comes six years after a dedicated Council recommendation, but...