News

Portugal: CGTP union won’t proceed with the general strike
The National Committee of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) met, yesterday, November 30th, to determine whether or not to continue the general strike of November 24th (see our...
Austria: 2.3% wage increase and introduction of minimum wage in trade
After six weeks intensely bargaining, the social partners in Austrian trade, 450,000 employees, finally reached an agreement on Monday, November 29th, on a 2-2.3% wage increase depending on the...
Ecuador: businesses that make a profit are going to have to pay decent wages
As of January 2011, private businesses making a profit will have to pay their employees at least $320 a month.  Currently, minimum wage is $220 a month.  Nearly 100,000 people are going to be...
30 November 2010
Greece: winter will be under a strain as well
The memorandum, part 3, addresses the following issues:
Italy: analysis of the impact of the labor dispute reform
To read the analysis, please download the attached PDF file.
EU: concern about Brussels’ interventionism regarding labor law and wage policies
Recommendations on social policies.  A proposal by the European Commission on “economic governance and macroeconomic imbalances” published on September 29th provides for the implementation of an...
Italy: the “future of young people” at the heart of the CGIL’s big national demonstration on November 27th
For the first time in union history, young people and precarious workers were at the center of a national demonstration.  Other first, young people were leading the two processions that went...
Germany: merger of Transnet and GDBA, the two key rail and transportation unions
Anticipated merger.  The merger between Transnet, union that dates back to the end of the 19th century, and GDBA, created in 1948, is no surprise.  The first is the key rail union and represents...
Spain: three candidates for the leadership of the CEOE employers’ organization
An issue of succession rather than a true questioning. Currently listed candidates all come from the CEOE’s innermost circle. They are all on the confederation’s board: Santiago Herrero, leader of...
Italy: government agrees to bill introducing a quota for 30% of women on boards
“More than ever, we need to turn our country’s tremendous pool of female human capital, still underexploited, into a card to play in the game of development, competitiveness and social...
Spain: unions and employers prepare the reform of collective bargaining
Prepare the reform. Reforming collective bargaining should help improve relations within businesses, productivity and competitiveness, and encourage employee participation.  Representatives of the...
France: 2011 social security budget act marked by reduced social niches
After deficits soared in 2009 because of the economic crisis, 2010 witnessed a slight improvement in the situation of French corporate financial statements. Indeed, the deficit of the social...
Great Britain: new Unite leader Len McCluskey wants to launch a campaign in 2011 to save the Welfare State
The day he was officially appointed Unite general secretary (see our dispatch No. 100825), he told the media: ‘[W]orking people are under massive attack now.  This government is expecting them to...
Portugal: unitary general strike of Wednesday November 24th qualified of the “biggest ever”
Numbers.  Unions said about 3 million people adhered to the paralysis of Wednesday, November 24th, out of 5.5 million active people.  With this number, they declared that the strike was a perfect...
Germany: BASF grants job security to 33,000 employees until 2015
Social partnership at the heart of modernization.  After Siemens, which offered its German employees employment guarantee tacitly renewable, now BASF is giving 5 years of job security (January 1...
Romania: slight minimum wage increase
After months bargaining, the Romanian government finally increased minimum wage, from RON 600 to 670 (approximately EUR 143 to 160). This is more than the IMF recommended but less than what...
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
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
2
Greece: hospitality sector signs first collective agreement aligned with National Social Pact
The hospitality sector (125,000 employees), one of Greece’s largest industries after retail, signed a new two-year collective agreement on 17 March. The text, effective from 1 April 2026...
3
Germany: a wave of redundancy plans in the automotive sector
The latest financial results presented in early 2026 by major German car manufacturers show sharp declines. This collapse in profits has triggered the announcement or confirmation of massive job...
16 March 2026
4
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
5
Germany: crisis and transformation wage agreement in the chemical sector
Following a two-day marathon negotiation in Bad Breisig (Western Germany), the social partners of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industries—the IG BCE trade union and the BAVC employers'...
27 March 2026
6
France: Club Med includes “multiculturalism” in its professional equality agreement
In December 2025, Club Med and the CFTC, Unsa, and FO trade unions signed an agreement on professional equality and working conditions. It introduces measures addressing AI, pay transparency, and...
23 March 2026