News

Lithuania : the most popular ways to motivate employees
The most common means for motivating employees are free courses, training and paying the phone bills, but those are only effective when employees receive a substantial salary. (Ref. 06832)
Great Britain: British companies want to benefit « without obstacles» from Rumanian and Bulgarian workers
A pressure group warned the government, this Wednesday August 30, against the restrictions to "open door" policy toward immigrants of future EU countries of, estimating that limitation of future...
Spain : the CCOO battle on the issue of risks prevention at work
The main Spanish trade union Confederation launched a public awareness campaign inviting workers to seriously consider the psychosocial risks threatening them. With this campaign, the trade...
Slovakia : unions ask government to amend labour law
Answering to the social priorities setted by the new government (see our article n°06811), the Slovak Confederation of Trade Unions demands maximum working hours for employees and limitation of...
Spain: Spanish companies’ forecasts in respect of employment growth are optimistic, foreseeing an increase of 1.5% until mid 2007
The official statistics on the state of the employment market at the end of the second quarter 2006 show that in relation to the same period last year an increase of 4.8% has occurred, with almost...
Greece: the government wishes to be more involved in the social dialogue
The Greek government started a series of meetings with trade unions and employers. It expressed its wish to pay more attention to social partners and to foster social dialogue. (Ref. 06827)
Luxembourg: the anti-smoking law comes into force
Workers protection. Initially the question of worker’s protection should have been addressed in a different legislative text, but the highest administrative authority (Conseil d’Etat) has...
Daimler Chrysler reduces the duration of its Board Members’ mandates
“This change only refers to renewal of positions. The maximum duration of the mandate was already limited to three years within the framework of a first appointment to the board” said a spokesman...
28 August 2006
Agfa Gevaert announces 1560 job cuts in Europe
The group installed, in Antwerp, announced a vast restructuring in order to safeguard the company's competitiveness. Belgium is the country the most concerned by this process. (Ref. 06824)
Poland: the American company Dell creates 12,000 jobs
Dell is going to create 12,000 jobs in Poland. Following negotiations, the American company is moving into Lodz, the second largest town in the country with a million inhabitants. This investment...
The European social Diary of August 29 to November 23, 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...
28 August 2006
Germany: Faced with an uncertain return to work, the employees of the Deutsche Bahn AG (railways) and of Volkswagen, clutch at ways to secure their jobs
Deutsche Bahn – What future for the workers following privatisation? – Though clearly better off than their automobile colleagues, the 230,000 ‘rail workers’ are, nevertheless, worried about their...
European Social Partners report progress on a voluntary agreement on « work-related stress»
The European Social Partners will add the finishing touch to a report tabling the first ‘"scene" in the application of their voluntary agreement on work-related stress completed in October 2005...
The Netherlands: Polish dockers not wanted
On 22nd August, the two biggest union groups in the Netherlands and the Dutch employers' association (AWVN) clashed over the disembarking of Polish dockers in Dutch ports. (Ref. 06818)
Great Britain: The TUC recommends those over 50 stay in work in order to defuse the pension time-bomb
The TUC condemns the fact that more than a million Britons aged between 50 and 65 are out of work against their wishes because employers will not keep them on. The Congress calls for the...
Germany : the adoption of the minimum wage in the industrial cleaning sector (850.000 employees) reignites the debate over a legal minimum for all employees
Last August 23, the German cabinet decided to extend to the industrial cleaning sector (Entsedegesetz) the law on questions linked to the posted workers within services provision. As is already...
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
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
4
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
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