News

Italy: Prodi government unveils first elements of its “social projects”
During his first visit outside the Italian territory to attend the EU Council of Ministers of last 1 and 2 June, the Italian Minister for Work, Cesare Damiano, gave elements on the government's...
Slovenia : more job opportunities and lower unemployment
Last statistical datas show more job vacancies and lower unemployment. (Ref. 06571)
Lithuania: pensions due to increase
Retirement pensions in Lithuania will be updated by an average 60 Litas (17,4 Euros) per month starting from next 1 July. Last week, Lithuania's Prime Minister Mr. Algirdas Brazauskas also...
The draft directive on equal treatment between men and women as regards employment and occupation is on the way to a final adoption
The European Parlement adopted, in second reading, the same text as adopted by the EU Council of ministers. This draft directive should then be adopted, with no difficulties, by a forthcoming...
Finland : a wage agreement ends the embargo on 3 ships of Superfast Ferries, accused of social dumping
The Finnish seamens' union, backed by the Federation of Transport workers, has imposed an embargo on three ships of the company Superfast Ferries which serve Hanko, in southern Finland, and...
Poland: Solidarnosc demands wage increases
The national Commission of Solidarnosc asked, on June 1, that the wage increase follow that of productivity. According to the trade union, this should be an obligatory standard in Poland. (Ref...
Great-Britain : construction to face labour shortage beacause of intense activity
Many important projects are under way. An extra 300 000 workers will be needed in 2010. Labour shortages are nearly inevitable. (Ref. 06566)
Great-Britain : Workers at Peugeot’s Ryton factory vote against strike
According to the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), workers at Peugeot's Ryton plant voted not to go on strike to defend the plant, which is scheduled to close in 2007. (Ref. 06565)
2007 will be «European Year of Equal Opportunities for all»
Council and Parliament give green light to the event. The aim is to promote equal opportunities and to make Europeans aware of their rights. The European Commission also wants to show "how...
Outcome of the EU Council of ministers in charge of Social Affairs (June 1 and 2 2006)
The EU Ministers in charge of Social Affairs did not manage to reach a compromise on the working time draft directive but succeeded in furthering others issues such as the European gender...
Sweden: a law to improve the job security of employees with a fixed-term contract
The Swedish Parliament passed, at the end of May, a law which secures the professional trajectories of employees working under a fixed-term contract. (Ref. 06562)
Zara: a case of child work revives the question of the respect of good behavior codes
Following the report published by the Portuguese weekly magazine, Expresso, on children in the north of Portugal who apparently work for one of the suppliers of the Inditex group, owner of Zara...
5 June 2006
Germany : on an unemployment background, the passing of the so-called law of «adaptation» of the Hartz IV reform reopens the debate about the employment policy
Review of the papers from May 29th to June 4th 2004. The German press widely goes back over the debate for or against Hartz IV, which opposed yesterday the conservatives to the socio-democrats on...
Great Britain: relief after the failure of negotiations on the “working time” Directive
The failure of the negotiations conducted in Luxembourg on the revision of the Working time Directive (see our article n° 06552) was welcomed in Great Britain (Réf. 06555)
2 June 2006
Poland : commentary on the «information and consultation of workers» Act
On 21 May 2006, the new act on informing and consulting employees, that implemented the Directive on workers' information and consultation, entered into force (Official Journal 2006/550/3599)...
Belgium: three «anti-discrimination» bills
The Minister for Equal opportunities, Christian Dupont, presented, last May 24 to the Council of Ministers, three preliminary draft laws supplementing the Belgian legislative arsenal and...
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
France: Cabinet adopts pay transparency bill
After several months of delay beyond the European deadline of 7 June 2026, French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou finally presented the bill transposing the Pay Transparency Directive to the...
10 September 2026
2
Germany: IG Metall demands 5% pay rise amid severe pressure
Despite the crisis hitting the automotive industry, the leadership of the German trade union IG Metall announced on Wednesday 23 September that it would be asking for a 5% pay increase as well as...
23 September 2026
3
Spain: government revisits its draft decree on salary transparency
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has opened a consultation on the transposition of the European directive on salary transparency and the reduction of the gender pay gap. This decision follows a...
8 September 2026
4
Italy: Crédit Agricole introduces a handbook on managerial behaviour
The document adopted in mid-July by Crédit Agricole Italia and the main banking trade unions goes beyond the proper use of meetings and emails. This six-point handbook aims to foster constructive...
3 September 2026
5
EU: Commission proposes a list of worker-related criteria for public procurement
The news. On 9 September, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation aimed at unifying European public procurement law, which accounts for 15% of European GDP. It is notably set...
17 September 2026
6
United Kingdom: government “names and shames” companies that fail to pay the minimum wage
The news. On September 3, the UK government published a list of employers penalised for failing to comply with the National Minimum Wage. Nearly 660 companies were named, including fast-food chain...
4 September 2026