News brief

Spain: new terms and conditions for in-company training contracts
On 25 November, Spain's Council of Ministers approved a regulation on training contracts. This text defines the terms and conditions for hosting work-study students and interns doing professional...
Fashion brands accused of violating trade union freedoms in Asia
On 27 November, Amnesty International released a report denouncing widespread violations of trade union freedoms in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka by both governments and suppliers to...
28 November 2025
Italy: three executives from luxury goods group Tod’s investigated over worker exploitation
Italian authorities are once again turning their attention to working conditions in the luxury goods supply chain. On 20 November, the Milan public prosecutor charged three senior executives of...
28 November 2025
Italy: telecommunications sector introduces new measures to navigate major transformation
The agreement reached between Asstel, the employers’ association for Italy’s telecommunications sector, and the SLC-Cgil, Fistel-Cisl and Uilcom unions centres on strengthening labour relations to...
27 November 2025
EDF bans alcohol on all its sites
From 1 January 2026, French energy giant EDF (180,000 employees) will prohibit alcohol consumption at all internal and external corporate events, from social gatherings to seminars. The policy...
26 November 2025
Slovenia: year-end bonus equal to half the minimum monthly wage created
On 11 November, the Slovenian parliament adopted, in an extraordinary session, a bill introducing a mandatory “winter bonus” for all employees. The bonus equates to half the gross...
26 November 2025
EU: Commission issues first recommendation on human capital as part of European Semester
In parallel with the European Semester adopted on 25 November, which proposes guidelines to member states on economic policies for the coming year, the European Commission has adopted an...
Italy: new collective agreement for mechanical engineering and metalworking sectors focuses on defending purchasing power
The deal struck on 22 November between Italy’s social partners in the mechanical engineering and metalworking sector brings an end to a long and contentious bargaining process. The agreement –...
25 November 2025
Inditex European works council mobilises on value sharing
In a joint statement, 10 trade unions comprising the European works council of the Inditex clothing group are calling for rallies in Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany...
24 November 2025
EU: Commission proposes loosening of AI regulations
On 19 November, the European Commission published a proposal for an omnibus regulation aimed at simplifying the AI Act in order to ‘ensure the swift, smooth and proportionate implementation’ of...
24 November 2025
France: construction sector turns to long-term partial activity scheme
Amid the ongoing economic crisis hitting France’s construction sector, social partners in the public works industry (350,000 employees) signed an agreement at the end of October enabling companies...
21 November 2025
United States: Republican bills aim to loosen labour laws
On 20 November, the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce passed two Republican-backed bills that would allow employers to compensate overtime with paid time off and...
21 November 2025
Ireland: 2026-2030 action plan launched to promote collective bargaining
Irish employment minister Peter Burke announced on 5 November the launch of the Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining 2026–2030. Developed jointly with the Irish Congress of Trade...
20 November 2025
Germany: bill adopted to step up fight against illegal employment
On Thursday 13 November, Germany's Bundestag passed a bill to modernise and digitalise the country’s system for tackling undeclared work and financial crime. In future, the relevant department at...
France: professional equality agreement signed in engineering and consulting sector
On 22 October, the Syntec and Cinov business organisations – representing France’s technical design, digital and consulting sectors (1.4 million employees) – signed a professional equality...
19 November 2025
EU: legislative deal struck to ease international recruitment in shortage occupations
On 18 November, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the regulation creating the so-called 'Talent Pool', a digital platform designed to ease recruitment in...
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
Germany: Volkswagen and Porsche face massive restructuring
Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board met on 9 July to review a sweeping restructuring plan that includes the elimination of up to 120,000 jobs and the closure of factories in Germany. The carmaker’s...
2
Germany: at Tesla, the “Optimus” project could further escalate labor tensions
Tesla’s announcement that employees at its German Gigafactory will be used to test the humanoid robot “Optimus” comes amid significant legal uncertainty that could further inflame the conflict...
3
France: increase in the minimum hourly activity pay for platform delivery riders
The info. On 10 July, the French Employment Platforms Social Relations Authority (ARPE) announced the signing of an amendment to the agreement on the minimum income of independent food delivery...
4
Spain: Banco Santander offers early retirement from age 55
The management of Spanish bank Santander and the trade unions reached an agreement on 17 July on an early retirement scheme that will allow employees to leave the company voluntarily from the age...
5
Germany: a national action plan to strengthen collective bargaining
The news. On 22 July, the German federal government unveiled a national action plan to promote collective bargaining in response to the requirements of the EU minimum wage directive. The directive...
6
Italy: employers’ organisations agree on how to determine the reference collective agreement for each sector
The news. Fourteen employers’ organisations, including the country’s largest business associations—Confindustria (industry), Confcommercio (commerce and services) and ANIA...