News

Poland: situation on the labor market
According to the data published by the Central Statistical Office, some improvements in the situation on the labour market in Poland can be observed. In the 2nd quarter of 2006, the employment...
Luxembourg: a charter for corporate social responsibility
The " Luxembourg Meeting on corporate social responsibility " took place on October 20th with the Minister of Employment and Work. It was the occasion to draw an assessment of the initiatives...
24 October 2006
Netherlands: call to strike at Floraholland
The Confederation of Dutch trade unions (FNV Bondgenoten) called for a one-day strike on October 30th, which might paralyze Floraholland, the second auction flower market in the Netherlands. 215...
Spain : a new law limits and organizes subcontracting in the building and construction industry
A new law or regulation on the building and construction industry (BCI) is always important news in Spain due to the fact that this industry amounts to around a 10 percent of the gross domestic...
Great Britain : Burberry to close Treorchy factory
311 jobs will be cut. After the closing, only one Burberry factory will remain in Great Britain. Almost all Burberry products will be manufactured abroad. (Ref. 061056)
Luxembourg: minimum wage due to increase in January 2007
The October 19th, 2006 governmental council approved a bill regarding a raise of the minimum wage. The 1.9% increase should become effective on January 1st, 2007. (Ref. 061054)
Germany: the chemical industry union (IG BCE) presents its demands regarding the 2007 tariff negotiations.
After the German chemical industry underwent a 6% growth in sales (81.2 billion euros) during the first semester 2006, IG BCE wants to put wage increases and apprenticeship at the center of the...
Czech republic: wage negotiations to start in companies
In two weeks, the wage negotiations for the next year will begin in large companies. The main trade-union confederation (CMKOS) announced its intention to ask for a wage increase of 7%, and even...
Great Britain : immigration from Romania and Bulgaria will be limited
According to the Observer and the Financial Times, the government is planning to limit the entrance of Romanian and Bulgarian workers, as both countries will become EU members on 1st January...
Spain : more and more partial retirements before the coming into force of a stricter law
According to the Ministry of Employment, partial retirements will increase by 50% this year, with 30 000 new departures. This sharp rise is linked to the coming overhaul of the particularly...
EU: the tripartite social summit focuses on flexicurity
During the informal tripartite social summit which took place on Friday, October 20th in Lahti (Finland), the European Commission, the Finnish Presidency of the EU and the representatives of...
Belgium: CJEC condemns a provision aimed at fighting against moonlighting in the construction sector
The European Court of Justice (CJEC) condemns the principle of double obligation which affects construction firms not registered in the country. Consequently, the government promises to revise the...
Germany : BenQ Mobile cuts more than 1900 jobs
Three weeks after having filed for bankruptcy, the German mobile phones producer, BenQ Mobile (former phone division of Siemens) announced, on October 19th, 2006, that it wanted to get rid of two...
Austria : failure of negotiations on collective agreements in the iron and steel industry
Management and labour in the iron and steel industry (180 000 employees) separated after failing to reach agreement for the third time in two months. On Thursday, the employers rejected the...
Finland : strike and clash between unions and management at Finnair
Cabin personnel of the Finnish airline, Finnair, have been on strike since 4 am Thursday October 19 in protest against the announcement of the recruitment of 500 cabin employees through its...
20 October 2006
Belgium: reaction of social partners to the declaration of federal policy
The Belgian business federation (FEB) welcomed the bill tabled by the government. Featuring a budget with O.3% in excess of gross domestic product, ie. One billion euros. “It is a positive step...
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