News

Austria: government to agree on the “Papamonat”, a parental leave for fathers
The governmental work group on the "Papamonat", a new special benefit for fathers who stop working after their child is born, should present a final text in April. All political parties agree on...
Great Britain: nuclear radiation might be linked to heart diseases
An amazing study was published last week in the International Journal of Epidemiology: radiation exposure could be the source of increased mortality after cardiovascular diseases among nuclear...
Sweden: tax cuts to encourage fathers to take parental leaves and leaves to care for sick children
The Swedish government will introduce, on July 1, 2008, a relatively important tax cut for families where the mother and the father equally share parental leaves. It is also thinking about a...
Germany: dispute on seniors’ part-time in the metal sector
The metalworkers' union IG Metall, which is fighting to keep the law on seniors' part time (Altersteilzeit), which is supposed to expire at the end of 2009, chose the tough way. Between March 10...
Denmark: 3F launches a new network to fight pay inequality
In spite of companies' obligation to gather information on pay according to gender, the pay gap between men and women is increasing and would have reached 17% in 2006. This is the reason why Jane...
EU: CJEC to rule on the notion of direct discrimination on the grounds ethnic origin
In his conclusions delivered on March 12, 2008, the Advocate General Poiares Maduro proposes that the Court accepts that, when an employer tells the media that "he would not recruit persons of...
Gaz de France: EWC says no to merger with Suez and takes cognizance of the social guaranties presented by the management
After the EWC meeting on March 11, 2008, the members adopted a negative opinion on the merger between GDF and Suez. The document, rounded up on March 12, presents economic arguments against this...
Germany: a ruling which revives controversy on industry-wide minimum wage
Since Berlin's Administrative Court declared, on March 7, that the new minimum wage which came into effect on January 1, 2008 in postal services was "illegal", the controversy on this topic...
Great Britain: more companies train their workers on ethics codes
According to a study carried out by the Institute of Business Ethics, 71% of the 350 companies listed on the stock market train their employees in the subject of business ethics, instead of 47% in...
12 March 2008
Germany: wage agreement in the textile and clothing industry
After sixteen hours of negotiation, the metalworkers union IG Metall and the employers' organization of western Germany's textile and clothing industry signed, on March 11, 2008, a wage agreement...
EU: Commission validates training aid to Volvo Cars Gent’s employees
The European Commission approved, on March 11, 2008, the €3.54 million aid the Flemish Region intends to grant to support training at Volvo Cars Gent in Ghent, Belgium. The Commission, after an...
EU: sectoral social dialogue committee for professional football
The list of sectoral social dialogue committees is extended with the launching, on March 17, of the European social dialogue committee for the professional football sector. One of the social...
Italy: the Council of Ministers approved the legislative decree on occupational health and safety
On March 6, the Council of Ministers approved the legislative decree which ends the Testo Unico, the global reform on health and safety (see our dispatch No. 080137). The act's main reforms...
Netherlands: employers want pension funds reformed
The Federation of Dutch Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) listed on March 10 in the daily Het Financieele Dagblad its claims in terms of pension funds reforms. Employers' goal is to reduce company...
Germany: Deutsche Bahn and train drivers’ union GDL put a final stop to their conflict
We thought it would never happen. After eleven months of tough negotiations, punctuated with a series of strikes, the Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers' union GDL announced, on March 9, 2008...
Portugal: first employment forum for Portuguese-speaking African countries
The first recruitment forum for Portuguese-speaking Africa took place on March 7 and 8, 2008 in Lisbon. Created by Global Career Company, an international recruitment and consulting agency, this...
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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
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...
6
Argentina: labour reform passed by Parliament
Legislation deregulating the framework labour law was definitively adopted by Argentine Parliament on Friday 27 February. The CGT, the country's primary trade union federation, filed legal...
4 March 2026