News brief

Italy: government and regions sign agreement on social dampers resources
the government and regions concluded an agreement on resources allocated to social dampers. It provides that, in 2009-10, 8 billion euro will be dedicated to “actions to support income and...
Germany: government to improve the protection of personal data after the elections
scandals at the Deutsche Telekom (see our dispatch No. 080428) and at the Deutsche Bahn (No. 090110), Wolfgang Schauble, CDU Federal Minister for Home Affairs, announced, on February 16, 2009, the...
Mexico: public aid for businesses appealing to partial unemployment
nced new measures to fight the crisis’ negative impact on employment: 2 billion pesos (100 million euro) to avoid layoffs in businesses choosing partial unemployment. This aid will only be...
Germany: the Bundesrat introduces minimum wage in six more sectors
the Bundesrat – the Federal Council – agreed, on February 13, 2009, to establish minimum wage in six sectors with about 1.2 million employees. This vote ends a very controversial...
Italy: union alert on the crisis in the chemistry sector
edly threatened in the chemistry sector. Last week, the three Filcem-CGIL, Femca-Cisl and Uilcem-Uil unions raised the alarm on the crisis affecting the sector. Reminding its strategic value for...
Slovenia: round table on the crisis in the automotive industry
mber of Commerce and Industry organized a round table discussion on the crisis in the automotive industry and its impact on the Slovene economy. Although the representatives of the automotive...
Belgium: the 25.000 employees of Fortis fear for their job after shareholders rejected the recovery plan
ejected the group’s rescue plan, the staff representatives demanded an extraordinary works council meeting on February 12. The goal was to meet with the Belgian bank’s management and...
Lithuania: demonstrations against rising unemployment force government to open social dialogue
e crisis. As for the other two “Baltic tigers”, the economic slowdown was slightly felt as early as late 2006, together with strong inflation. After prosperous years, the country faces...
Renault: EWC expresses solidarity with Spanish workers
results for 2008, a delegation of Spanish employees went to Paris to express concern over their job’s future. The French car manufacturer’s EWC supported this approach in a...
EU: the European Metalworkers’ Federation presents its Manifesto for industrial policy
Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) published a “Manifesto for more and better industrial jobs.” This document, 12 pages long, details the federation’s view of necessary actions...
Germany: two studies drastically divided revive the debate on the protection against dismissals
Economy (IW), close to employers, and the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the Hans Blocker Foundation, close to unions, chose the same day to publish studies on the impact of the...
Germany: investment bankers at the Dresdner Kleinwort to press charges to get their bonus
essed a around €1 billion in their unit in 2008 – the managers of the Dresdner Kleinwort investment bank – a subsidiary of Dresdner Bank, bought by the Commerzbank in January...
12 February 2009
Ecuador: paternity leave introduced
vernment of Ecuador approved the introduction of a ten-day paternity leave. However, only workers in the public and private sector affiliated with the social security will be entitled to it, i.e...
Spain: controversy over employers’ proposal to create anti-crisis labor contracts
labor contract” with lower layoff pay was launched by the employers’ confederation of the Madrid region and used by Gerardo Diaz Ferran, leader of the CEOE employers’...
Netherlands: De Unie abandons the agreement negotiated by its internet branch for Polish agency workers
executives’ union, announced that it abandoned the collective agreement negotiated during the week end of February 1 by the Internetvakbond, its internet branch, together with the...
France: Brussels worried about the condition to maintain production in the country to give aid to the sector
10, Nelly Kroes, Commissioner for Competition, asked the French government to explain the plan to support the car industry presented to the press this week. She is worried about the guarantee to...
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...