News

France : court ruling in summary proceedings on precedence of European works council in information/consultation procedure
Transnational character. Overriding the Beiersdorf management, which contested the transnational character of the restructuring, the court based its decision on the document communicated to the...
Netherlands: Alcatel-Lucent’s unions are thinking of calling for strike
The Dutch union federation (FNV) asked Alcatel-Lucent's management for urgent explanations on the consequences of the large redundancy plan – announced on February 9 – on the Netherlands. The...
Belgium: the asbestos compensation fund is adopted
The Belgian government decided to create a compensation fund for people hit by an illness caused by asbestos. The fund was adopted as part of the December 27, 2007 Act. The application modalities...
EU: the future “Rome II” regulation should determine the law applicable to non-contractual obligations regarding liabilities due to collective disputes
Following the European Parliament's second reading, at the end of January, the proposition of the regulation called "Rome II" on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations should be the...
Finland: the reform on employees’ representation
The Parliament adopted a reform on the law concerning cooperation within private companies. It increases the employers' information and consultation duties regarding employees and their...
Portugal: the reform of the unemployment benefit makes reorganizations more expensive
The November 3, 2006 government decree 220/2206 reformed the unemployment insurance system and especially includes a disposition which will make it harder, in practice, for companies to part with...
Poland: the Japanese are stepping into the breach
Toshiba, Bridgestone, and Toyota: the Japanese are stepping on it in Poland. After Suzuki, Isuzu and Sharp, the three companies are opening new factories in which some are planning to import the...
Bonduelle: the agreement on the setting of a European works council
The management of the French food-processing group Bonduelle, the European union federation EFFAT and the members of the special negotiation group signed, on June 20, 2005, an agreement on the...
Denmark: the government wishes to appeal to more and more skilled jobs
Denmark is renowned for its very restrictive policy concerning immigration, but in these full employment times, the government is taking initiatives to make the issuing of work and residence...
Belgium: a measure to enable seniors recently hired to take vacations
A royal decree passed on January 24, 2007 is establishing "senior vacations" to enable employees aged 50 years old and more who are starting up a new activity to enjoy four weeks of vacation, even...
General Motors : the EMF organised a meeting with trade union coordination group
The European Metalworkers Federation (EMF) invited, the 8 februar 2007, trade unions and workers representatives from the GM Europe plants to Brussels. The EMF expect new reorganizations in the...
Sweden: a union exposed the discriminatory character of the reform on the unemployment insurance to the European commission
The union TCO judged that one of the new rules introduced by the unemployment insurance reform is particularly unfavourable for women working part-time. The union organization referred the matter...
Generali : the Italian insurance company adopted a “European social charter”
The Italian insurance company Generali presented, on December 11, 12 and 13, 2006, to the select committee's European work's council, a "European social charter for the Generali group", which has...
Spain: unions and employers signed the 2007 framework agreement on collective negotiations
Employers' organizations CEOE and CEPYMES, together with the main unions UGT and CCOO, ratified, on February 6, the new agreement on collective negotiations (ANC 2007,) which continues the broad...
British Airways: Brussels’ Labour court forced the company to refer to its European Work’s Council
Brussels' labour court asked British airways (BA) on December 6, 2006, to stop transferring its customer service department from the Vienna airport to the Fraport company and to organize...
8 February 2007
Lithuania: plans to make old-age pension more dependent on length of employment
Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour presented a draft bill which aims at making old-age pension more dependent on individual’s length of employment. (Ref. 070116)
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
EDF bans alcohol on all its sites
From 1 January 2026, French energy giant EDF (180,000 employees) will prohibit alcohol consumption at all internal and external corporate events, from social gatherings to seminars. The policy...
26 November 2025
3
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
4
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
5
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
6
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