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Italy: social partners revise protocol to combat coronavirus in the workplace
Ahead of “phase two”, which see lockdown in Italy gradually eased from 4 May and will primarily concern production activities, the trade unions Cgil, Cisl and Uil and the employer organisation...
27 April 2020
Portugal: Volkswagen plant resumes operations under certain conditions
Autoeuropa, the Volkswagen plant in Palmela near Lisbon, is to get back up and running on 27 April. Only two production shifts are planned so that the constraints of the Covid-19 protection plan...
27 April 2020
France: Amazon loses appeal as court reaffirms central importance of social dialogue in risk prevention policies
On 24 April the appeals court in Versailles confirmed the ruling, passed 10 days earlier, which ordered Amazon France to limit work at its warehouses to operations related to essential product...
27 April 2020
EU: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work publishes guidelines for returns to work
Several European governments are currently planning a gradual lifting of the lockdown measures that were put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In its roadmap towards lifting the...
24 April 2020
Germany: IG Metall publishes practical guide with measures to prevent spread of Covid-19 in the workplace
As major automobile manufacturers in Germany gear up to boost production, the country’s metalworkers’ union has published a practical and detailed 30-page guide on how to ensure protection at...
24 April 2020
United Kingdom: more than one quarter of UK workers furloughed, says ONS
On 23 April, the UK government unveiled an analysis on the furloughing (temporary laying off) of workers amid the lockdown measures that have been put in place across the country. Entitled the...
24 April 2020
International: companies and trade unions join forces to act in support of manufacturers in textile industry struggling due to Covid-19 crisis
Clothing brands and retailers including Adidas, C&A, H&M Group, International Apparel Federation, Inditex, M&S, Primark, PVH Corporation, Ralph Lauren, Tchibo, VF Corporation, Under...
24 April 2020
Belgium: social partners agree on recommendations for exiting lockdown conditions
On 22 April, the social partners that met as part of the Group of Ten (one of Belgium’s social consultation forums) agreed on the framework that will govern the relaunch of business in...
23 April 2020
United States: Amazon facing a civil society coalition movement
The opposition being mounted against Amazon, the online retail giant, has taken the name of the ancient Greek goddess Athena (wisdom & warfare). Comprising a very active and engaged coalition...
23 April 2020
France: companies will be able to ‘determine’ the workers for whom they will implement short-time work arrangements
Originating from a demand by certain sectors, and in particular the services sector, and as a result of a new ordinance adopted by the Council of Ministers on 22 April as part of the nation’s...
22 April 2020
Italy: social partners in Brescia, one of the Covid-19 epicenters, sign an agreement to ensure industry worker safety
In Lombardy’s industrial heartland lies the city of Brescia, which along with its surroundings and Bergamo, became one of Italy’s hardest hit Covid-19 areas. Formulated under the auspices of the...
22 April 2020
United States: an ineffectual OSHA agency
The US OSHA federal agency (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) that is responsible for working conditions in companies, has not issued any specific rules for ‘essential’ workers during...
22 April 2020
Italy: fashion industry gears up to re-open
On 15 April a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the social partners that enables the re-opening of the fashion industry, a fundamental ‘Made in Italy’ pillar, while guaranteeing workers’...
21 April 2020
Spain: agreement between electricity companies and the government to cushion the impact of coal-fired plant closures
On 17 April, the electricity companies Endesa, Iberdrola and Naturgy together with the Ministries of Labour and Ecological Transition, as well as the trade unions CCOO and UGT secured an agreement...
21 April 2020
Germany: debate intensifies over raising the level of short-time work compensation covered by unemployment insurance
In contrast with the 2008/2009 crisis, short-time working is not just affecting industry, but the entire German economy, and especially the low-wage sectors. Against this backdrop, and with some 4...
21 April 2020
Japan: in spite of the health crisis telework arrangements are slow to take off
In the wake of the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases, and PM Shinzo Abe’s announcement on 07 April that Japan was entering a state of emergency, twice as many businesses as before have been putting...
21 April 2020
Our mind news
Crédit Agricole is to adopt stricter rules on remote work from mid-March onwards. The rules will be tightened for employees, but the maximum number of days working remotely will remain unchanged.
29 January 2026
The three representative trade unions at Orange France have until 10 December to validate an agreement on gender equality, work–life balance and anti-discrimination measures. While the text...
8 December 2025
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
31 October 2025
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...
20 October 2025
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
Germany: government seeks to facilitate immigration of skilled Indian workers
During a visit to India earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the strategic importance of attracting Indian workers to Germany, signing a series of cooperation agreements...
15 January 2026
2
France: Medef publishes guide to support career transitions and retraining
France's largest employer federation Medef has provided its regional representatives with a practical guide designed to support career transitions and retraining. Structured around three key tools...
6 February 2026
3
France: 2026 budget expected to maintain employer contribution relief
On 19 January 2026, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu decided to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass France's 2026 budget without a vote in the National Assembly. Three days...
20 January 2026
4
EU: Cyprus unveils its six-month presidency programme
Cyprus has set out its priorities for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the social front, the centre-right government will focus on the Union of Skills, which aims to boost...
23 January 2026
5
Informal economy and slow wage growth hamper decent work, ILO says
The International Labour Organisation published its Employment ans Social Trends 2026 on 14 January. It anticipates unemployment stabilising in 2026 and employment growth of 1%, driven by...
16 January 2026
6
EU: Commission wants to facilitate entry of international ‘talent’
In a recommendation published on 29 January, the European Commission calls on member states to take a series of measures to attract and retain international talent. It targets holders of skilled...
6 February 2026