News

Germany: the employer federation BDA is drawing up a positive review of the branches’ collective agreement
After criticizing their inflexibility for a long time, the federation of German employers (BDA) recognized, during its annual congress on November 7 in Berlin, that the collective conventions...
EU: the pro opt-out team reacted to the failure of the negotiations on the working time directive
The break in the negotiations concerning the working time directive (see our article n° 061112) was carefully welcomed in Great Britain, where proponents and opponents are now waiting for the...
France: almost all unions are about to sign a national cross-industry agreement on diversity within companies
All managerial and union organizations, except for the CFE-CGC, should sign the national interprofessional agreement on diversity within companies, an agreement that establishes an "enlarged...
Spain: the economic and social council is offering to encourage technical education
The Spanish social and economic council is drawing attention to the fact that numerous positions are covered by over-qualified employees, and is pleading for a reinforcement of technical and...
Luxembourg: towards the suppression of dismissal transactional compensations’ fiscal exemption
Luxembourg's government has introduced a bill on employment retention to the deputies' chamber. This bill contains, in particular, measures aiming at limiting the fiscal exemption that was until...
Netherlands: the restrictions to hiring Romanian and Bulgarian workers are maintained
Henk van Hoof, secretary of state to social affairs and work, is planning to maintain for two years the current restrictions concerning the employment of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, after...
Great Britain: decline in illnesses and accidents at work
The Health and Safety Executive has just published statistics concerning industrial accidents and sick leaves, which declined in 2005-2006. These results, coming in the middle of a 10-year plan...
Netherlands : strike in the public transportation system of the four biggest cities
Buses, subways and trolley cars of the four biggest cities of the country, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, did not run between 9 and 16 o'clock, on November 15th, 2006. Trade unions...
EU: once again, the twenty-five fail on the subject of the revision of the working time directive
The efforts the Finnish Presidency, made to reach a political agreement on the revision of the working hours' directive during the November 7th EU's Ministers' Council, have not been rewarded. A...
Slovenia : law to ease Sundays shop openings passed
Changes of the law impose that, when setting the working hours, trader needs to consider the number of employees in the store and their rights, obligations and responsibilities from the labour...
Belgium: social partners are divided on the adaptation of the preliminary procedure to mass lay-offs
The solidarity pact between generations, an ambitious social pact that the Verhofstadt government has been strongly defending for over a year, is planning notably to shorten the preliminary...
Finland: a bill to improve the employees’ information and consultation, as well as social dialogue within the company
The Finnish government has just handed over to the Parliament a proposition to amend the law on cooperation (between employers and unions) within companies, as well as a new law including...
Spain: the employee has to announce that she is pregnant to be protected against dismissal
For the dismissal of a pregnant woman to be invalid, the employer has to be aware that the woman is pregnant when he makes his mind, states a Supreme Court, ending a long controversy. (Ref...
Great Britain: recruitment professionals have been on guards since the bill about age discriminations came into force
There is a collateral effect to the bill against age-related discrimination that came into force on October 1, 2006: there is censorship in classified ads. Robert Walters, one of the biggest...
The European social Diary of November 13 to December 4, 2006
We provide you with a weekly diary on the main events involving social Europe and institutional appointments. You can forward us your schedules of events to the following address...
Belgium: social partners agreed on the prevention against theft and control of employees
Belgian social partners, gathered within the National Work Council (CNT,) adopted a decision, on October 18, 2006, on the prevention against theft and controls outside the firm or workplace. This...
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