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Luxembourg: individual training leave enforced
The individual training leave provision, introduced by the October 24, 2007 law, came into effect on January 1, 2008. This defined as part of the agreement signed by Luxembourg's social partners...
Germany: train drivers get an 11% wage increase
Started last March, the longest rail conflict in German history is coming to an end. The train drivers' union, GDL, announced, on January 13, 2008, that he set with the Deutsche Bahn (DB) the day...
Netherlands: role of the anti-discrimination Commission
The anti-discrimination Commission (Commissie Gelijke Behandeling, CGB), set up in 1994, gives legal rulings that are non-binding but which help building up the caselaw. Its "decisions" are indeed...
Poland: equal treatment bill in progress
The bill, aiming at adapting Polish legislation to the Community law, establishes the rule of equal treatment in several matters, including access to work, social security and trade union...
France: social partners agree to modernize the labour market
Employers' and union organizations signed, on January 11, a draft agreement on the modernization of the labour market. Presented as a French enforcement of the EU's flexicurity system, this...
Italy: negotiations on the renewal of metalworkers’ national collective agreement resumed
Negotiations for the renewal of metalworkers' national collective agreement started again on January 9, with both parties openly willing to sign an agreement as soon as possible. For the first...
Great Britain: guidance promoting physical activity in the workplace
How to encourage employees to increase their physical activity ? Such is the topic of the guidance proposed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. This guidance for...
Denmark: study on equal pay to attract skilled women and develop their loyalty
For the first time in the country, a study shows that companies' policies in favour of gender equality enable to attract and keep skilled women. This is a important advantage in a country marked...
EU : a study on European works councils
77 companies took part to the survey, representing 10 industrial sectors in 12 countries of the European Union. A third have a workforce of over 50,000, just under a third have less than 10,000...
Suez-Gaz de France: update of the information-consultation process for the merger
Suez's management declared, on January 8, that the unfavourable judgement rendered by its European dialogue body "end the procedure of consultation of staff representation bodies" and enables to...
Portugal: a white paper on labour law reform
Relationship between law, collective agreements and labour contract. Traditionally, the law established binding minima that could only be improved by the collective agreements and the labour...
Estonia: the unions oppose the bill on employment contracts
The bill of the Reformist Party in government seeks to facilitate severance by simplifying procedures and reducing the period of notice as well as the amount of severance pay. The unions reacted...
Italy: consultation between the government and unions on the “wage issue”
The "wage issue" was presented as the government's priority for 2008. It is also a priority for the Cgil, the Cisl and the Uil which, in their November 24 platform, asked for a reduction of the...
Bulgaria: unions ready to strike against the draft bill on collective bargaining
Unions threatened to launch a general strike in the spring if Parliament adopts the draft bill on collective bargaining, which would establish a conciliation procedure before launching any...
Germany: the government launches a big training offensive
The federal government adopted, on January 9, 2008, a series of measures to improve training and vocational training in Germany. According to Annette Schavan, German Secretary of State for...
Great Britain: increasing unpaid overtime
According to the trade union confederation TUC, the number of employees working unpaid overtime has strongly increased in 2007. Unions are worried and want to launch a national campaign against...
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
EU: Commission launches consultation with social partners on quality jobs
On 4 December, the European Commission launched the first phase of consultation with social partners with a view to a European directive on jobs, which is scheduled for the end of 2026. It could...
4 December 2025
2
United Kingdom: government scraps plan to introduce ‘day one’ protection against unfair dismissal
The UK government announced on 27 November, in a statement, that it would not be introducing the right to challenge unfair dismissal (without cause) from the first day of employment in its...
3 December 2025
3
Poland: bill adopted to amend definition of psychological harassment
On 27 November, the Polish cabinet adopted a draft amendment to the labour code aimed at simplifying the definition of psychological harassment at work, or “mobbing” (Article 94 3)...
4 December 2025
4
EU: MEPs demand directive on algorithmic management
Members of the European Parliament have called for a directive on algorithmic management. Such legislation would introduce obligations for companies to inform employees, assess health and safety...
17 December 2025
5
Austria: European rules on wage transparency expected to cause a cultural shock
With the gender pay gap in Austria being the second largest in the European Union (18.3%), the Austrian government has promised to introduce a bill next spring to transpose the European directive...
27 November 2025
6
United Kingdom: Parliament finally passes Employment Rights Bill
The UK Labour government's flagship reform of employment rights was passed by both houses on 16 December after a turbulent parliamentary process. The bill introduces numerous changes to labour...
18 December 2025