News brief

Great Britain: creeping discontent in the construction industry after eight contractors proposed to cut hourly rates of pay
echanical contractors in the building and construction industry are proposing to cut hourly rates of pay by up to 35% from March 2012. The current industry rate of £16.25 per hour (nearly...
Germany: Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency calls for better protection against discriminations
the “Equal Treatment Act” celebrated its fifth birthday this summer. On this occasion, the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, created within the framework of this law, issued...
EU: report on European social files
or is taking stock of major ongoing social debates in Brussels. On the menu: extension of maternity leave, Parliament negotiations on draft directives regarding intra-group transfers and seasonal...
Portugal: adoption of the Labor Code reform cutting layoff benefits
Portuguese Parliament yesterday, September 8th, brings layoff benefits down to 20 days’ pay per year worked. For the first time, a limit was added to these benefits. (Ref. 110530) Reform...
Spain: the pay gap between men and women with positions of responsibility is nine points higher than the average
ng for positions of responsibility. This is what comes out of a survey jointly released by the Secretary of State for Equality and the High Council of Spanish Chambers of Commerce. The heart of...
9 September 2011
Great Britain: ACAS releases its first guide on the use of social networks at work
allegedly, employees using the internet and social networks is costing the British economy billions of pounds each year and more and more conflicts arise from the dilution between private and...
Netherlands: one single federation for heavy and light metal industry
ight metal industries have merged into a single federation in order to have more power against unions. (Ref. 110527) Employers in the heavy (Metalektro) and light metal (Metaal en Techniek)...
Portugal: unions call for high wage increases in 2012
nizations in the country are asking for wage increases ranging between 2 and 4% for next year. They are also calling for an increase in Portuguese minimum wage as mentioned during social dialogue...
Portugal: employees’ 2011 income cut drastically with the enforcement of the extraordinary tax on the Christmas bonus
loyees’ Christmas bonus has come into force. The tax, withheld and amounting to 50% of the part of the bonus exceeding minimum wage, should bring the State EUR 1 billion. This tax is going...
Sweden: LO unions agree on joint claims for 2012 negotiations
ves from different trade unions affiliated with the LO confederation (the country’s key union confederation) met in order to think about ways to get organized for the 2012 negotiations. In...
Great Britain: Premier wants to water down European Agency Workers Directive
temporary work will come into force on October 1, 2011, the Prime Minister is looking at ways to lessen its impact on the economy, according to what The Telegraph wrote on September 5, 2011...
8 September 2011
Germany: chemistry social partners in eastern Germany work on groundbreaking system for flexible working time
in talks on the working conditions of the 36,000 people working in the eastern-German chemical industry, the IG BCE union announced, on September 1st, that it sent employers a proposal for a...
EU: European chemistry social partners sign declaration on a sustainable industrial policy in their sector
mplementation of the recommendations adopted in 2009 by the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the European Chemical Industry, since many of them concerning innovation and training, have...
Finland: serial layoffs and wheezing social dialogue on the menu for the new social season
n trying, for weeks, to encourage cooperation between the social partners, mistrust is prevailing among union ranks. On the eve of another round of collective bargaining in many sectors (banking...
Ireland: government and social partners to negotiate exception to the European directive on temporary work
ike the principle of equal treatment as regards the working conditions of permanent and temporary workers to apply after six months in the job. Directive 2008/104 on temporary work lays this...
7 September 2011
Sweden: Scania signs new flexibility agreement for Swedish production sites
a new “flexibility” agreement with the IF-Metall (metalworkers’ union) applying in its Swedish production units. This agreement is made up of two complementary chapters: one on...
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: pensioners in work already common practice, study shows
As the German government steps up measures to encourage people to stay in work beyond the legal retirement age, a new study by the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) – an independent...
2
Spain: government approves creation of ‘intern status’
The Spanish government has paved the way for the creation of a new status for "persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies, institutions or public or private organisations...
3
France: social conference on labour and pensions to proceed without main employers’ group
The preparatory meeting ahead of the social conference on labour and pensions, which is set to decide on the pension system model and the funding thereof, was held on 4 November at France's labour...
4
Luxembourg: two pension reform bills submitted to parliament
After lengthy negotiations with the social partners, in mid-October the Luxembourg government submitted two bills to parliament aimed at reforming the pension system to ensure its long-term...
5
Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...