News

Belgium: Arjo Wiggins’ redundancy plan is including temporary workers
After three weeks of social conflict, the employees of two production sites of the stationer Arjo Wiggins started work again after negotiations on the redundancy plan accompanying reorganization...
Belgium: the department of labor is updating its website
The SPF (Public Federal Service) Employment, Work and Social Dialogue launched, on February 1, 2007, a new website to replace the old one, dating back to 1998. It enables to access ten themes...
Netherlands: first trial against a temporary work agency after a Polish worker died
A first in the Netherlands : on a union and a professional association's request, the factory inspectorate referred, on February 6, 2007, to the public prosecutor in order to compensate the widow...
Sweden: temporary work is a flourishing sector
In three years, the turnover of the companies in this branch has more than doubled. The part linked to recruitment activities has encountered the strongest increase. (Ref 070112)
Spain: Renault’s management and unions signed the new firm agreement in effect until 2009
The new agreement, signed on January 31 between the management of Renault Spain and majority unions (UGT, CCOO, and the executives' Confederation) is planning the departure, spread on three years...
Great Britain: cash awarded to workers who agree to leave firm pension scheme
More and more companies with big deficits in their pension funds are offering their employees cash to leave final salary schemes and put money into a private pension instead. (Ref. 070110)
EADS: the information and consultation procedure from Airbus’ reorganization plan
The way the European group EADS is going to deal with the employees' information and consultation procedure as part of the presentation of the measures – which will affect the personnel – of the...
EADS : a first step towards a worldwide works council
The management of the EADS group and its EWC agreed on a progressive opening of the European employees' representation body to other countries located outside of the European Union. An intention...
Belgium: cooperation between a Belgian and an Indian union
A cooperation agreement between the Belgian union Setca (FGTB) and the Indian union ITPF, specialized in the computing sector, has been renewed for a five-year period. The goal is to improve...
6 February 2007
Netherlands: social reforms of the new government
A new agreement of governmental coalition, submitted on February 6 to the Parliament, includes two major social reforms. The document, which does not soften the legislation on dismissals, devotes...
Estonia: strike avoided in health-care sector, tensions to come in the other sectors
The agreement concluded in Estonia on an important wage increase in the health-care sector, which enabled to avoid a strike which threatened to extend at the national level. A precedent which...
Hungary: trade unions and employers agree on wage increases for 2007
The trade unions and employers found, last 30 January, an agreement on the rises of the wages at the national level for 2007 and which should range between 5.5 and 8 %. the agreement was reached...
Ireland: the government is evaluating the situation on the implementation of the social partnership agreement
The Labour Minister, Michael Martin, reported the advancement of the measures taken to implement the agreement concluded with the social partners, "Towards 2016" in September 2006 (see our story...
Spain: adoption of a bill which recognizes workers’ basic right to information and consultation
The government approved, on February 2nd, a bill which amends the statute of workers. The innovations are designed to transpose two Community directives. One on workers' information and...
EU: the draft statute of European company for SMEs will also have to guarantee workers’ right to representation
Since the adoption of the European company, modelled for the trans-national corporations of a certain size, the European Commission has wanted to develop a European social form for SMEs. To help...
International: trade union FNV inspects working conditions in the Chinese factories of Dutch multinationals
The Dutch trade union FNV Bondgenoten (industry, private services, transport and agro-alimentary) published a report on the working conditions in the Chinese factories of three multinational...
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
Pascale Rauline (Axa EWC): “European charter formalises ongoing and accelerated social dialogue on AI”
On 27 November, Axa and its European works council (EWC) signed a charter setting out principles governing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and guaranteeing social dialogue on the...
2
Germany: crisis-hit industries cast shadow over 2026 bargaining cycle
In 2026, collective wage agreements for nearly 10 million employees in Germany are set to expire. With upcoming negotiations in crisis-hit 'pilot' sectors such as chemicals and metalworking, the...
2 December 2025
3
Bulgaria: government approves bill to encourage sector-level collective bargaining
On 26 November, the Bulgarian government approved amendments to the labour code designed to reinforce the legal framework for sector-level collective bargaining. The reform aims to stimulate...
2 December 2025
4
EU: social partners in telecoms sign joint statement on AI
On 16 December, the social partners in Europe's telecommunications sector unveiled a joint statement on artificial intelligence. They propose an action plan for skills and commit to raising...
18 December 2025
5
Inditex European works council mobilises on value sharing
In a joint statement, 10 trade unions comprising the European works council of the Inditex clothing group are calling for rallies in Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, France, Italy and Germany...
6
Germany: Erwin Hymer Group’s innovative and award-winning AI agreement
Fed up with negotiating separate agreements for each new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, the social partners at Erwin Hymer Group (8,900 employees) have instead secured a broad, overarching...
12 December 2025