News

Italy: CGIL sent to Parliament the bill on the right to permanent training which got 130,000 signatures
“A contribution so the Parliament will willingly address the issue of permanent training” is how CGIL general secretary Gugliemo Epifani defined the own-initiative bill on permanent training...
Finland: chemical and media workers’ union merge, creating TEAM
TEAM (Teollisuusalojen ammattiliitto) has officially been active since January 1, 2010. It is the result of a draft union merger discussed for several years, supposed to bring about the country’s...
Germany: Deutsche Telekom keeps rejuvenating its staff
Promote young talents within the company. Like in 2008 and 2009 (see our dispatch No. 080060), the phone operator wants to hire 3,500 new employees in 2010, including 1,400 young postgraduates and...
EU: the ECJ ruled that the German rules for calculating the notice period based on age are discriminatory
Facts. The German Civil Code provides that notice periods vary with the workers’ seniority in the job but that the periods completed before the employee reaches the age of 25 are not taken into...
Portugal: government adopted employment program for 2010 and its going to unfreeze 480 million euros
Socially handling unemployment. The Employment Initiative approved by the Council of Ministers should affect 750,000 people and represents a €480-million budget. Labor Minister Maria Helena Andre...
Great Britain: the debate on scrapping default retirement age is quickening
Work until 70 or 80? It’s what Minister for Equality Harriet Harman told the Daily Mail on January 11 that quickened the debate. She said that workers would not be forced to work beyond 65, but...
EU: the social partners respond to the Commission’s EU 2020 Strategy
Common observation. The ETUC and BusinessEurope at least share one observation: the next decade will be imbued with the economic crisis. Unions mostly point to social consequences, increases by...
Belgium: stricter conditions to enjoy time credit but more flexibility for workers coming back from a long illness
Stricter award conditions. Within the framework of anticrisis measures, the Belgian government adopted measures to save up on time credit benefits. In Belgium, this system allows workers who want...
Germany: Ver.di union got nearly 111,000 new members in 2009
Membership drop stopped in 3 areas. Even though its overall size decreased, Verdi’s evaluation is more than positive. Indeed, it presents 2008 and 2009 as the best years in terms of size since the...
Belgium: training at the center of new anticrisis measures
Recruit jobseekers as formers. The first measures should allow employees let go as part of a restructuring program to be hired as trainers or guides. They may be recruited by public training or...
Netherlands: FNV and Allies membership is rising again
The Netherlands’ largest union, FNV and Allies, present in manufacturing, currently has the most members since 2001 – the last crisis in the country. The new membership wave can be explained by...
Germany: Federal Government presents 11th annual report on temporary work
The government’s 11th annual report on temporary, presented on Wednesday in Berlin, encouraged the sector’s employers’ federations, who have been fighting to defend the sector’s public image after...
Mexico: 4.85% minimum wage increase sacrificing buying power to save jobs
Once again, Mexican unions lost the battle after the meetings of the National Minimum Wage Committee (CONASAMI), which answers to the Labor Ministry and heads negotiations between the social...
EU: launching of the Sectoral Social Dialog Committee in the metal industry
As we announced in October (see our dispatch No. 090985), today, January 14th was the day employers (CEEMET) and union (EMF) organizations were launching the European Sectoral Social Dialog...
Spain: social partners resume talks on a framework agreement on collective bargaining
Unions. Ramon Gorriz (CCOO) and Toni Ferrer (UGT) are leading the talks. They want to sign an agreement for several years (2010-12). They said they were ready to accept the principle of wage...
Great Britain: publication of the reform giving all employees supplementary pension
Protect workers without overloading businesses. In the UK, around 14 million people simply receive the meager public pension and 7 million don’t save enough for their old days. On the other hand...
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...