News

Germany: to avoid mass layoffs, the federal government is going to extend legal short-time working (Kurzarbeit)
In companies such as equipment manufacturer Bosch, everything that can reduce working time is done to try and adjust production which avoiding layoffs. Whereas tens of thousands of permanent...
Great Britain: study on mental capital, notably at work
Initiated by the governmental think tank Foresight and sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, a study - carried out over two years and involving over 400 experts from...
Poland: evaluation of self-employment
What's the situation regarding draft legislation on self-employment? How do inspection units take care of the problem of "bogus" self-employed? This dispatch, suggested by one of our subscribers...
EU: the European Commission thinks private pension schemes have to develop and improve accessibility
Last week, the European Commissioner for Social Affairs, Vladimir Spidla called upon the Member States to "adapt European pension schemes to new demographic trends and to the new labor market to...
Hungary: Daimler decides to settle in Kecskemét to produce small Mercedes models
On October 27, Daimler signed a contract concerning the construction of a factory in Kecskemét. It is the first assembly plant for the Mercedes brand in an eastern European country. (Ref. 080832)
Belgium: a study on restructuring management ten years after the implementation of the “Renault” law
The Claeys & Engels law firm carried out a study on restructurings and social plans concerning 216 collective bargaining agreements concluded during 100 recent restructurings between 2006 and...
Germany: Ver.di union and the city of Berlin sue the Christian trade union federation
Verdi, the services' union, and the city of Berlin pressed charges against the German Christian trade union federation (CGPW) at the Berlin labor court. Via the launching of a "statutory control...
Ukraine: new planned labor code soon on a second reading in Parliament
The Ukrainian Parliament should analyze a project for a new labor code on a second reading by the end of the year 2008. Alexander Poels, Director and lawyer at the Peterka & Partners firm in Kiev...
Italy: union mobilization in a changing IT sector
In October, several strikes hit the Italian IT sector, which is going through a rough patch. IBM is planning to reorganize the group, probably with a drawdown in the south of the country; EDS-HP's...
EU: the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the application of working time legislation to road transport
In a resolution adopted on October 9, the European Parliament is asking Member States to be more watchful concerning the application and the enforcement of directive 2002/15 on the organization of...
Poland: two bills for recoding labor law but not on the basis of established law
The Ministry for Labor and Social Policy presented, on October 22, 2008, two bills for the labor code (individual law and collective law). The result of four years of work at the recoding...
Arcelor-Mittal: Joint Global Health and Safety Committee meets in Kazakhstan
The Joint Global Health and Safety Committee of the Arcelor-Mittal group, established by the global agreement signed on June 3 (see our dispatch No. 080429), met in Kazakhstan during the first...
Italy: mining social partners renewed their national collective agreement
On September 29, 2008, Assomineraria-Confindustria for employers and Filcem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl, Uilcem-Uil for unions signed the agreement for the renewal of the national collective agreement of the...
PPR: two European charters on the employment of disabled people and seniors
The management of the French company specializing in retail shops (Fnac, Redcats, Redoute) and luxury brands (Balenciaga, Gucci, Yves-Saint-Laurent…), PPR (90.000 employees) and its EWC signed, on...
BNP Paribas/Fortis: meeting of the EWCs of the two financial groups
After the French banking group BNP Paribas announced the takeover of the Fortis bank, the EWCs of the two groups sent a delegation in Paris, on October 20, for a first contact and to ask the...
Latin America: layoffs and job freeze in the car industry
Car manufacturers are laying off by the dozen in Latin American countries. Mexico is not left behind, with over 4.000 job cuts since the beginning of the year. In Brazil, the sector was shaken by...
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
Spain: new terms and conditions for in-company training contracts
On 25 November, Spain's Council of Ministers approved a regulation on training contracts. This text defines the terms and conditions for hosting work-study students and interns doing professional...
2
France: sectors feel economic slowdown to differing degrees
The latest data on France’s occupational sectors (branches professionnelles), covering the year 2023, show how employment trends are shaping workplace dynamics. After a more favourable period for...
3
Germany: apprenticeship openings fall sharply in manufacturing and chemicals
From 1 January 2026, Dutch collective agreements for temporary employment agencies will alter the employment conditions of temp workers. Agencies will be required to pay these workers at least the...