News

China: Shenzhen adopts two regulations to favor social dialogue in companies
The law on the employment contract and the law on the "establishment and development of harmonious working relationships", adopted by the authorities of the special Shenzhen economic zone, which...
11 September 2008
EU: European managers propose amendments to the EWC “recast” directive
After the letter the ETUC, BusinessEurope, the CEEP and the UEAPME (see our dispatch No. 080643) sent to Xavier Bertrand - French Minister of Labor and current President of the EU Employment and...
Companies: benefits and disadvantages of EWCs
After analyzing the direct and indirect costs of a EWC (see our dispatch No. 080674), the study carried out by the GHK Consulting Firm at the request of the European Commission as part of the...
Spain: staff cuts and lower chain activity in the car industry
Several car manufacturers announced job cuts in Spain while others use the flexibility allowed by the collective agreements. However, even larger job cuts are to be expected. Unions are on the...
Germany : IG-Metall about to publish a list of « black sheep » among temp agencies
Confronted with the upsurge of temp employees paid less than the permanent workforce, the Frankfurt section of IG-Metall (which covers four Länder- Hesse, Rheinland-Palatinate, Sarre and...
Companies : actual costs of EWCs
Is it possible to give an accurate evaluation of the costs of a European Works Council ? The European Commission asked the GHK Consulting Firm to carry out a study on this topic in view of the...
Germany : IG-Metall calls VW workers to a mass demonstration for the maintenance of the « Volkswagen law »
By organizing such an impressing assembly the IG-Metall union intends to send “warning signal to all those wishing to abolish the Volkswagen law”. “The repeated attacks by  the European Union, by...
Netherlands: contentious agreement on the limit to unemployment allowances
On September 9, 2008, the government, the Confederation of Dutch Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) and the Dutch Trade Union Federation (FNV) announced a surprise agreement on unemployment...
Spain: target 1.000 euros a month
The Spanish unions set as their objective, during the pending collective negotiations, that all employees receive 1.000 euros a month minimum. (Ref. 080673)
HP: European trade unions demand re-skilling as an alternative to redundancies
Gathered on September 8 by the Union Network International (UNI) and by the European Metalworkers' federation (EMF), the trade unions of HewlettPackard (HP) expressed concern about the social...
Italy: Alitalia’s unions reject the draft company agreement of the new CAI airline
Tough take off for the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI,) supposed to take over Alitalia's assets (see our dispatch No. 080647.) The rescue plan which was presented to the company's unions plans the...
Netherlands: incentive to work from home two days a week
An agreement reached between the Social Partners and presented on September 8, 2008, encourages employees to work from home to reduce traffic jams. Besides, this agreement exempts companies from...
Great Britain: the government launches a consultation on improving and extending the right to flexible work
Last May, the government announced that it intended to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children under the age of 16. It is now time for the consultation : how to inform...
Sweden: bonus to encourage fathers to share parental leave with mothers
Since July 1, 2008, a new law ("jämställdhetbonusen" or "equality bonus") came into force in order to encourage fathers to share parental leave with mothers. (Ref. 080668)
Spain: professional experience to be validated
The government plans on adopting, in the coming weeks, a decree on the validation of professional knowledge for people who don't have official qualifications. Workers over 21, without a degree but...
Germany: Lidl to pay heavy penalties for spying on employees
After the video surveillance scandal at Lidl, the different Lander's data protection authorities demand penalties amounting to several thousand Euros for the German discounter. Low-Saxony's...
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: Yves Rocher convicted of breach of duty of vigilance for infringement of freedom of association
The specialised chamber of the Paris Judicial Court convicted Yves Rocher on 12 March for breaching its duty of vigilance. The group was sued by Turkish employees dismissed in 2018 by a subsidiary...
12 March 2026
2
Spain: business support package to tackle the economic impact of the Middle East conflict
The Spanish government approved a series of measures on 20 March to support companies facing rising energy prices. In return, these businesses are prohibited from making redundancies for economic...
23 March 2026
3
EU: Council adopts position on simplifying AI rules
The Council of the EU approved its position on 13 March regarding the “omnibus regulation” proposal, published last November by the Commission to simplify the AI Act. Confirming the...
20 March 2026
4
Germany: a corporate group supports local political engagement via its “Democracy Charter”
Large corporations in the Hesse region, surrounding Frankfurt, are defending local democracy by enabling employees to volunteer in local public life through an initiative dubbed the "Democracy...
11 March 2026
5
United States: Coca-Cola subsidiary sued by the administration over women-only event
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on 18 February that it is launching federal proceedings against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast for “sex-based...
6 March 2026