News brief

ILO praises effectiveness of social dialogue in protecting workers against inflation
On 11 December, the International Labour Organization (ILO) published its second report on social dialogue, this time focusing on the national and sectoral levels. The study shows that 87% of the...
12 December 2024
Italy: 7,500 new hires and stabilisation of precarious staff at Poste Italiane
The reorganisation of Poste Italiane, Italy’s largest company in terms of the number of employees (around 120,000), is taking shape through a series of agreements signed on 27 November with...
11 December 2024
France: Engie increases remote work allowance
While the agreement on remote work signed in 2021 by Engie SA allowed only one or two days of teleworking per week, the new version, signed on 28 November 2024 for a period of two years, raises...
10 December 2024
Greece: transposition of minimum wage directive proves controversial 
On 5 December, the Greek parliament voted in favour of the bill transposing the European directive on minimum wages. The bill introduces a new method for calculating minimum wages, based on a...
9 December 2024
Mexico: government eyes rights for platform workers
After the minimum wage, Mexico’s new president Claudia Sheinbaum, who came to power in early October, is now tackling digital platforms. A bill was submitted to the Chamber of...
6 December 2024
EU: Parliament’s employment committee ready for trilogue on EWC directive
After defining its position in March, the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs voted on 3 December to open negotiations for an agreement on the revision of the...
6 December 2024
Mexico: minimum wage to rise by 12% in 2025
On 4 December, the National Minimum Wage Commission, made up of the government, trade unions and employers’ federations, decided to increase the minimum wage by 12% from 1 January 2025. It...
5 December 2024
France: what are the consequences of the likely vote of no confidence in Barnier’s government?
With the opposition having announced their support for the left-wing motion of no confidence, to be debated on 4 December, Michel Barnier’s minority government is likely to be toppled. The...
4 December 2024
Belgium: bill transposing CSRD adopted
On 28 November, the Chamber of Representatives approved a bill transposing the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Belgium was one of the countries lagging behind on...
2 December 2024
Italy: Confindustria proposes plan for workers’ housing
Employers’ organisation Confindustria intends to harness public and private partnerships to launch a major housing construction and repurposing plan with the aim of addressing, at least in...
Italy: collective agreement for managers in industry puts emphasis on equality
On 13 November, the employers’ organisation Confindustria and the Federmanager association signed an agreement renewing the national collective agreement (CCN) for managers in industry...
28 November 2024
Germany: cabinet adopts bill linking award of federal public contracts to compliance with collective agreements
On 27 November, Germany’s Federal Cabinet adopted a bill on the obligation to comply with industry-level collective agreements when awarding federal public contracts. The aim is to combat...
28 November 2024
Latvia: government establishes new criteria for setting minimum wage
On 19 November, the Latvian cabinet adopted a regulation setting out the criteria for determining the minimum wage, as it applies the 2022 European directive. According to this text, the minimum...
27 November 2024
China: introduction of two additional public holidays in 2025
On 12 November, the government published the calendar of public holidays for 2025. Two additional days will be added to the 11 already in existence. The Chinese New Year, the country’s...
26 November 2024
Italy: energy company Enel bolsters measures to promote parenthood
The agreement signed on 5 November between Enel and the unions includes a number of advances. From March 2025, new paid non-holiday leave entitlements will be introduced: one day (which may be...
25 November 2024
Luxembourg: minimum wage to rise by 2.6% in January 2025
On 15 November, the Council of Ministers decided to increase the minimum wage by 2.6% from 1 January next year. This is equivalent to the rise in the average wage over the years 2022 and 2023. The...
25 November 2024
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
Oliver Dietrich (IG Metall): “The advent of AI can be a means of deepening social partnership within companies”
In Germany, trade unions want to influence how AI is deployed in companies. Oliver Dietrich is an AI project manager at the regional office of the IG Metall trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia...
2
EU: social partners split over competitiveness and action on job quality
The European Trade Union Confederation and BusinessEurope have published their response to the consultation document on the European Commission's upcoming EU quality jobs initiative. The two...
4 February 2026
3
Germany: collective bargaining negotiations begin in chemical industry
Collective bargaining talks in Germany’s chemical and pharmaceutical industries are due to open this week, covering nearly 580,000 employees across around 1,700 companies. With the sector facing...
3 February 2026
4
Italy: new generational renewal agreement penned at UniCredit
The agreement signed on 30 December by UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest banking group, with the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions aims to continue generational...
5
France: social partner talks extend far beyond contractual terminations
After a false start on 3 December, French social partners resumed talks on 7 January 2026 on potential changes to the unemployment insurance agreement, including the rules governing compensation...
12 January 2026
6
EU: banking sector social partners commit to combating violence and harassment
On 15 January, the trade union federation UNI Europa Finance and three employers’ associations in the banking sector signed a joint statement on preventing violence and harassment in the...