News

Austria: government facilitates access to part-time early retirement in the midst of the pension scheme debate
Alongside the Finance Act for the 2011 budget, the Austrian government has decided to make a measure taken last year easier which was supposed to make access to part-time retirement harder.  While...
Netherlands: Dutch people are the European champions for time spent in transportation to go to work
Traffic jams have become a national issue, and an electoral argument for the last general election.  Twice a day (at 8 am and 5 pm), the country is paralyzed, notably the west, in Randstad, a...
18 November 2010
United States: interview of Lowell Turner, professor of Comparative Labor Relations at Cornell University on the French union movement
Lowell Turner. It was pretty exciting to see millions of people in the street. There is a push toward austerity budgeting across Europe and America. But, when governments try to take away...
GDF Suez: signature of a global agreement on fundamental rights, social dialogue and sustainable development
Since GDF Suez is present in several sectors, the agreement was negotiated with one or two representatives from the ICEM, BWI and PSI and coordinated by Global Unions (an organization which makes...
Great Britain: new strategy for training and apprenticeship shows the start of the State financially disengaging
The David Cameron administration presented, on November 16th, its action plan for training and apprenticeship.  The strategy is entitled “Skills for Sustainable Growth.”  The document starts with...
17 November 2010
Germany: the government, satisfied with the evolution of the employment of people over 55, holds the course for retirement at 67
Good news from the government.  “Entering a labor world adapted to age” is how Ursula von der Leyen entitled the 2010 report on retirement insurance.  It’s the first time this report gave an...
Netherlands: threat of continuing strike at TNT Post
Harry Koostra, CEO of TNT Post, the former public post, mentioned on TV yesterday the possibility of renegotiating the collective agreement and finding “creative solutions” to limit the number of...
International: 3rd UNI Global Union Congress shows the will to “break through” on transnational bargaining and unionization
Different funding.  With the G20 summit in the background in Korea, the global union’s congress mostly worked on the global financial and economic crisis. UNI, which, alone, covers thirteen...
17 November 2010
Italy: unitary start for the developments of the platform for the renewal of the banking CCN
The key unions in the banking sector (Fabi, Fiba Cisl, Fisac CGIL, Silcea, Sinfub, UGL and Uilca) announced, on November 16th, the start of a unitary journey for the preparation of the claim...
Latvia: new rules clarify requirements in terms of training to health and safety issues at work
Recent survey data show that about 89% of employees in Latvia have been informed on work safety issues, as indicated by Māra Vīksne, representative of the Labour Department at the Latvian Ministry...
Sweden: to increase its size, the Unionen union launched a free membership campaign
Unionen, the first union to take this type of initiative. The objective of Unionen’s board is to get 600,000 members – i.e. an increase of about 100,000 members.  That’s why the idea came, during...
Italy: to reach the young, the CGIL is using the “social guerrilla”
The CGIL is innovating while preparing for the national demonstration in Rome on November 27th and trying to revitalize the confederation’s image, with initiatives that are more on the same wave...
Netherlands: strike at TNT Post to reduce the number of job cuts
A first in the Netherlands: the main opposition party, lead by Labor Party member Job Cohen, declared, on Monday, November 15th, support to the strike organized by TNT Post’s three unions.  Post...
Czech Republic: adoption of amendments to labour and social security laws
Written formalisation of the “agreement to perform work.” First, the law introduces an obligatory written form for agreements to perform work (dohoda o provedení práce). This form of employment...
Ireland: unions take to the street at the end of the month to reject the government’s austerity policy
The ICTU thinks Ireland doesn’t need the EU’s help.  “We still have up to 20 million until July 2011 and 25 million in sovereign wealth fund” explained an ICTU economist.  On this at least, unions...
Great Britain: first attempt at coordinated strike action isn’t a big hit
The three disputes constituting the first attempt at coordinated action are a) the pensions dispute at the BBC, b) the dispute over revising shift systems in the London fire brigade, and c) the...
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
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...
2
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...
3
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...
4
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...
5
Denmark: introduction of a professional ID card for construction site workers
The news. On 3 September, the Danish Parliament adopted a bill introducing a mandatory professional ID card for people working on large construction sites. The card will include, among other...
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...