News

Italy: CGIL launches a general strike on June 25th against the government’s economic maneuver
The CGIL’s executive committee, gathered in Rome on June 7-9, unanimously approved the proposal made by general secretary Gugliemo Epifani to organize a general strike on June 25th, “for at least...
Germany: new banking collective agreement focuses on worsening working conditions since the beginning of crisis
Marginal wage increase. The agreement reached on Wednesday night (June 9), between Verdi’s negotiators (which represents 240,000 members in the sector) and the negotiators of the AGV Banken, the...
Romania: early retirement rush
Three times as many requests. Initially planned for June 1st, the severity plan announced by Emil Boc’s liberal-democratic government in May (see our dispatch No. 100464) should finally apply at...
Netherlands: the next government is going to be hard to form
As 88% of votes were counted, on the morning of Thursday, June 10th, Mark Rutte’s liberals had 32 seats – only one over the socialists led by Job Cohen, former mayor of Amsterdam. The...
Netherlands: FNV explains why its supports the pension reform to its members
The agreement signed on June 4th in The Hague about the pension reform between employers and unions (see our dispatch No. 100454), five days to the legislative elections, angered the FNV’s...
EU: recommendations to improve EWC participation in electricity businesses regarding CSR
Project. This report is in line with the project carried out by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), together with the Social Development Agency (SDA) entitled “EWCs – Learning...
Great Britain: projected freeze on social welfare and amendment of social laws
Freeze social welfare? Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron mentioned new severity measures to cut the country’s ₤156bn deficit. “You have to address the massive welfare bills” he notably...
Russia: safety at work discussed at the Duma following an accident in a coal mine in Siberia
Inventory. The Rostat agency found that, in 2009, 9,500 people lost their life or became disabled after industrial accidents in Russia. Several unions denounce employers’ attempts to save on...
Germany: majority unions and employers demand a law to limit the influence of small corporatist unions
Avoid endless strikes. The principle of “tariff unity” (“one company, one collective agreement”) which prevents competition between conflicting collective agreements for a single group of...
EU: Council of Ministers calls for greater national efforts on the “New Skills for New Jobs” strategy
Objective. At national level, the conclusions adopted yesterday, June 7th call on the Member States to invest into skills, financially or not, at all levels: businesses, individuals, young...
Denmark: unions mobilized against unemployment insurance reform
The government’s parties (Det Konservative Folkeparti and Venstre) and the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) signed, on may 25th, an “agreement for the recovery of the Danish economy” aimed...
EU: joint statement from the European social partners on the Europe 2020 strategy
In the statement presented last Friday, the social partners point to the new economic, social and financial context born from the 2008 crisis. They point out that Europe’s delay in the recovery...
Great Britain: TUC calls on government to regulate drug testing in the workplace
More tests. In the new guide for union representatives in charge of safety, the TUC reminds that anyone working under the influence of drugs – prescribed or illegal – which have an impact on...
Netherlands: employers and unions push to increase retirement age
The agreement signed on June 4th should allow the future coalition to adopt a final act rapidly, and recommends increasing basic public pension (AOW) to 66 in 2020 and 67 in 2025, following a...
Austria: Austrian rail at the center of a political tussle about possible staff cuttings and partial privatization
Cut sites or staff? As soon as he takes his post, on Monday, June 07, 2010, Christian Kern, new leader of the Austrian railway, will have to face several complicated tasks. The crisis and the drop...
Greece: China invests following privatizations
Privatizations. The list of privatizations is jumbled: 39% of the ELTA Post, 23% of the Thessalonian Water Utility, 10% of the Athens Water Utility, at different levels, the OPAP games company...
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
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...
4
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
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: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...