News brief

Germany: Deutsche Post in turn hit by a scandal of illegal gathering of employees’ private data
inesses accused of violating the law on the protection of data keeps getting longer. On June 14, 2009, the Deutsche Post recognized that it illegally stored data on employees’ health status...
Areva: EWC opposed to the transfer of the T&D branch
il is worried about the risks of dismantlement of the group. Staff representatives multiply lobbying actions to the French public authorities but are having a hard time knowing more. The...
Italy: CGIL proposes popular initiative bill on the right to continuous education
‘s key trade union, the CGIL, presented a popular initiative bill on the right to continuous training. The text is aimed at catching up Italy’s structural delay in terms of continuous...
Portugal: new social security code
was permanently adopted on Friday, June 12. The text introduces higher employers’ social contributions for fixed-term contracts and subjects employers who appeal to “green...
Great Britain: Equality Bill to come into force in the fall 2010
bout giving employers six more months to prepare for the changes induced by the Equality Bill. Still under discussion, the bill should be adopted in early 2010. However, it isn’t unlikely...
Venezuela: promises to re-hire workers from nationalized oil firms taking too long
s dismissed during oil nationalizations were re-employed. Yet, the Venezuelan government promised that all employees from the 76 oil businesses bought by the Petroleos de Venezuela company (PDVSA)...
Portugal: draft flexibility agreement at the Autoeuropa VW factory in Lisbon to avoid layoffs and guarantee production
e management of the Pamela d’Autoeuropa VW factory, near Lisbon, and the workers’ committee (staff representation structure) reached a draft agreement, on June 5, on the introduction...
Estonia: unions mobilize against the revision of the law on employment contracts
nions, the Confederation of Estonian Unions (EAKL, Eesti Ametiuhingute Keskliit), announced a national strike for June 16, to protests against the new law on labor contracts. It wants to bargain...
Poland: Council of Ministers adopts “anticrisis” acts
of Ministers adopted two laws partially based on the propositions negotiated with the social partners (see our dispatch No. 090555). The first is aimed at “downplaying the impact of the...
Spain: Cuatrecasas Institute involved in the debate on the reform of the labor market
f the labor market is only a series of tracks, mostly presented by representatives or structures close to businesses. Lastly, the new think tank created to think about the reform of the Spanish...
Great Britain: new Health and Safety Executive strategy
ial accidents, break down stereotypes on health and safety, make people realize, with common sense, that good risk management doesn’t thwart business, it favors it: these are the objectives...
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...
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
Ireland: minimum wage increase of 5,6% from 1 January 2027
The info. The Irish government has included a minimum wage increase of 79 cents in its Budget 2027, in line with recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. The rate will rise from €14.15...
2
Portugal: parental leave of up to six months paid at 100% from 2027 
The news. On 19 October, the Portuguese Parliament adopted a bill extending the duration of parental leave and the period for which benefits are paid. From 1 January 2027, leave will increase from...
3
China: draft bill to strengthen platform workers’ rights
On 8 October, the Chinese government published a draft bill open for consultation aimed at providing minimum guarantees to non-employee platform workers in terms of pay and working conditions. The...
23 October 2026
4
Is a global wage freeze at Volkswagen possible?
The existence of an option to implement a global wage freeze until 2030 has been confirmed by the management of the German group Volkswagen, which nevertheless provides no details and refers to...
20 October 2026
5
Spain: metal industry employers cut sick pay top-ups
To curb absenteeism, Spanish social partners in the metal sector are introducing new clauses into regional collective agreements to reduce the top-up payments made by employers during sick leave...
2 November 2026
6
Croatia: 7.6% minimum wage increase from 1 January 2027
The news. On 29 October, the Croatian Council of Ministers adopted a decree setting the minimum wage for 2027. This will rise from €1,050 to €1,130 gross per month from 1 January next...