News

Germany: Volkswagen’s new car software developer, CSO, signs an ‘iterative’ collective agreement
On 28 January Volkswagen Group management together with the IG Metall union announced the signature of an in-house agreement for the 4,000 employees of the Group’s new software development...
3 February 2021
China: ILO report notes both the working conditions and lack of regulation related to platform work
In January 2021 the International Labour Organization (ILO) published Working Paper 24 entitled: Online digital labour platforms in China - Working conditions, policy issues and prospects. This...
3 February 2021
Spain: a draft collective agreement concluded for the banking sector that also frames remote working
On 29 January the Asociación Española de Banca (AEB – Spain’s banking employers association), together with representatives of the CCOO, UGT and FINE trade unions concluded the broad outlines of a...
2 February 2021
India: Government seeks to extend social protection to ‘gig economy’ workers
On 01 February, while presenting the national budget for fiscal year 2021-2022, India’s Minister of Finance announced the government's will to extend social protection to those living in the ‘gig...
2 February 2021
EU: EU Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs adopted its resolution on multinational enterprise due diligence
On 27 January 2021, the EU Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs members adopted a draft resolution that intends to serve as a basis from which the European Commission can draw as it works on...
28 January 2021
Spain: short-time working mechanisms extended until 31 May 2021
Following adoption by Spain’s Council of Ministers, the decree-law on the ‘reinforcement and consolidation of social measures to defend employment’ was published in the Official Bulletin on 27...
27 January 2021
United States: President Biden’s first pro-union and occupational health and safety initiatives
As soon as he arrived in the White House, President Joe Biden made his mark on the relationship between his administration and the trade unions. Almost immediately upon his swearing in, the 46th...
27 January 2021
EU: EU Parliament calls for a Directive enshrining the right to disconnect
On 21 January 2021 the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report recognizing a right to disconnect (final text). In addition to advocating its fundamental character as a right, the text...
26 January 2021
Germany: Federal Labour Court strengthens the rights of women on the issue of equal pay
Almost four years after the adoption of the pay transparency law in the country, Germany’s Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht) issued a landmark ruling on 21 January on equal treatment of...
25 January 2021
EU: recommendations from European trade union federations to help EWC representatives manage the impact of Brexit
The trade union federations IndustriAll Europe, Uni Europa, EFFAT, EPSU, ETF and EFBWW have issued “joint […]  recommendations to EWC/SE coordinators and worker representatives in SNBs, EWCs and...
22 January 2021
Human rights: governments and NGOs up pressure on companies to prevent exploitation of Uighurs
As evidence of the enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Uighurs accumulates, with members of the population deported from their homes and often locked up in huge labour camps, there is a...
22 January 2021
Unilever commits to guaranteeing a living wage in its supply chain by 2030
On 21 January 2021, Unilever, the UK multinational consumer goods group, issued a press release detailing its commitments to help ‘build a more inclusive society’ (here). Foremost among these is...
21 January 2021
TK Elevator: signs a global framework agreement
On 25 November 2020 the TK Elevator group (TKE group) together with IndustriALL Global union, the German works council, the European Works Council and the German trade union federation IG Metall...
21 January 2021
Germany: telework becomes mandatory ‘where possible’ until 15 March 2021
On 19 January 2021 and in response to fears of the spread of new, more contagious Covid-19 variants, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of the Länder agreed to extend and tighten the...
20 January 2021
France: Solvay signs teleworking agreement that implements the group’s new global mobile working policy
On 18 December 2020, Belgian chemicals group Solvay signed an agreement with the French CFDT and CFE-CGC trade unions, albeit without the CGT union, to enhance flexibility by giving employees in...
20 January 2021
Great Britain: fresh decision on European Works Councils against the backdrop of Verizon’s transfer of its representative agent to Ireland and the removal of UK representatives
Is this the final episode in the Verizon European Works Council (EWC) saga? Barring a reversal on appeal, it would appear that despite its determined activism, the Verizon EWC (c.f. articles...
19 January 2021
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: LinkedIn reveals most sought-after HR skills
LinkedIn is revealing the most sought-after HR skills in 2026 in a study to be published on 24 February, which mind RH is previewing. Internal communication, training planning, occupational health...
2
Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs
In his government policy statement to Parliament on 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced several measures designed to "control" social costs. Notably, he proposed raising the...
3
Spain: a bill to regulate internships
On 3 March, the Council of Ministers approved the bill on the “Status for persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies”. The text limits the number of interns a company can...
4
EU: co-legislators aim to pivot European Globalisation Adjustment Fund towards restructuring anticipation
On 25 February, the Council of the EU and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Commission’s proposed regulation to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). Under the...
5
Block to slash workforce by nearly half
The news. In his latest shareholder letter, Jack Dorsey, CEO of payment service provider Block (formerly Square), announced plans to slash the company’s workforce “by nearly half, from...