News

Great Britain: unions are choosing candidates for the leadership of the Labour Party
There are currently fifteen unions affiliated to the Labour Party, comprising some 3.5 million members. The unions are the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef)...
Great Britain: unions divided over the opening of talks with the government
The General Council is comprised of around thirty members of the affiliated unions, some of which have seats automatically because of their size (over 200,000 members) and others from the smaller...
Luxembourg: extraordinary leaves for personal reasons extended to employees with a Civil Solidarity Pact
In addition to annual paid leaves, Luxembourg law grants employees a series of special leaves called “extraordinary” leaves to better reconcile private and professional life (2 days for the birth...
Etex: construction material firm signs health and safety on the workplace Charter
Procedures. Present in many European countries, Etex is a Belgian company specialized in construction materials. In June, it adopted a charter to better protect its workers and the environment...
Italy: Fiom-CGIL central committee elects new national secretariat
Gathered in Rome on July 19-20, the central committee of the Fiom elected its new national secretariat. The latter is composed of Maurizio Landini – general secretary and signatory of the document...
Finland: unions and employers relatively happy with collective negotiations, in spite of the recession due to the financial crisis and many conflicts
Unions are satisfied. The SAK union confederation considered that, in spite of particularly complicated economic conditions, the outcome is quite positive. In the fall 2009, collectively-agreed...
Spain: unions object to the decree-law amending savings banks
Candido Mendez, UGT general  secretary, and Ignacio Fernandez Toxo, his counterpart at CCOO, rejected what they call the “penetration of banking services” into savings banks, in a process which...
Norway: businesses learn to better deal with their employees’ pregnancies to reduce absenteeism
In sectors where women are overrepresented, effective management can significantly reduce absenteeism. Indeed, days off because of pregnancy account for one third of absences among women aged...
Portugal: wage negotiations at Volkswagen’s Lisbon factory (Palmela) in a context of revived production
Raise. VW’s working committee in the Palmela factory (near Lisbon) is asking for a 3.8% wage increase for the 3,000 employees of the factory, with a “limit” €40 increase for all. Negotiations will...
Germany: demographic ageing influences absenteeism’s growth
An increase influenced by the demographic factor. The traditional absenteeism equations, “fear of loosing your job = lower absenteeism rates” and, conversely, “economic growth = increasing...
Great Britain: engineering construction industry still boiling
The specific grievances concerned the importation of non-domiciled workers to undertake work in the industry while domiciled workers were without work and on rates of pay below the industry norm...
Italy: supplementary health insurance increasingly wins over wage increases
More and more businesses introduce supplementary health care plans among mutual insurance companies, insurance companies, corporate funds and sectoral funds for their employees. Luxottica, the...
Greece: unhoped for agreement on a new national agreement for three years
Content of the agreement. This agreement, retroactive on January 1, 2010, provides for a wage freeze in 2010, a minimum 1.5% wage increase in 2011 and 1.7% in 2012, based on the percentage of...
EU: on the occasion of its 8th national assembly, the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation is clarifying its organizational and union strategy
New federation. In a special motion, the EMCEF’s representatives first looked at merger prospects between their federation and the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) and the European Trade...
Austria: government to introduce controls and fines to fight wage dumping
€240 million shortfall. As in Germany, where the idea of minimum wage to limit cheap competition from workers from the new Member States is spreading, Austria is trying to protect itself from 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
France: government submits draft on pay transparency
On 6 March, the French government sent social partners a draft bill to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive. The text provides details on the implementation timetable, corporate...
9 March 2026
2
Sweden: government delays transposition of Pay Transparency Directive
On 11 March, the Swedish government announced it is postponing the transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive. Having originally targeted an entry into force on 1 July 2026, it has conceded a...
3
Italy: Deliveroo and Glovo targeted by justice over courier working conditions
The Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered two of Italy's leading food delivery platforms, Foodinho (Glovo) and Deliveroo, to be placed under judicial administration. According to...
9 March 2026
4
Germany: menopause issues finally gain corporate recognition
With 12 million women over 40 in the labour force, German companies and occupational health professionals are beginning to adopt support policies for those affected by menopause-related issues...
5
Denmark: government launches transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive
On 26 February, the Danish government submitted a draft bill to transpose the Pay Transparency Directive for consultation until 27 March. The bill sets an implementation date of 1 January 2027...
6
Valérie Decaux (La Poste): “Our older workers policy is based on individualisation to move beyond age-related-stigmatisation”
La Poste Group (nearly 200,000 employees in France) unveiled its first senior employment agreement in late February. The text outlines measures for early retirement assistance, workplace...