News

Italy: €25 billion in Government support for businesses families and the health system
At a time when whole sectors of Italy’s economy have had to come to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic, on Monday 16 March the Council of Ministers adopted a decree-law, albeit not yet...
17 March 2020
Sweden: a package of support measures for companies and employees facing the coronavirus
In the week starting 16 March, Sweden’s government presented parliament with a series of measures to be definitively adopted on 19 March that seek to enable employers and employees to cope with...
17 March 2020
Austria: Federal government announces Covid-19 support including ‘partial unemployment’
On 13 March, Austria’s government announced €4 billion would be directed to support independent workers, maintain employment, and help businesses avoid insolvency in the face of the Covid-19...
17 March 2020
United States: the UAW and automakers set up a task force to tackle the coronavirus
The United Auto Workers union (UAW), together with US automakers has decided to set up a task force to address the coronavirus, the objective being to implement stronger protection measures for...
17 March 2020
Germany: law to faciliate short-time working measures adopted by the Bundestag with retroactive effect from 1 March
The law, which extends and facilitates access to short-time working measures to help businesses manage the Covid-19 crisis, was passed by the Bundestag on Friday 13 March, having been urgently...
16 March 2020
Portugal: simplified short-time working scheme and other business support measures adopted to tackle the coronavirus crisis
The new simplified regime enters into force on 16 March 2020 in order to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. The package of extraordinary measures adopted on 13 March also includes social...
16 March 2020
Italy: social partners sign protocol on measures to battle coronavirus in the workplace
Pressed by the government to establish uniform guidelines to guarantee the safety of employees in the workplace, the Cgil, Cisl and Uil unions and the employer organisations Confindustria, Confapi...
16 March 2020
Spain: employer and union organisations come together to demand exceptional measures to quickly ease impact of coronavirus
The CCOO and UGT trade unions, as well as the employer confederations CEOE and Cepyme, have together drawn up a document setting out their joint proposals for dealing with the coronavirus and...
13 March 2020
Argentina: new waves of branch negotiations to take place against ever uncertain backdrop
Sectoral wage negotiations are in full swing in Argentina, against an economic backdrop that is as uncertain as it is tough. These are the first such talks to take place since the centre-left...
13 March 2020
The ILO struggles to define its action for decent work along global supply chain
Momentum from the Centenary celebrations in 2019 (which saw the conclusion of a declaration and a new international convention on violence at work c.f. article No. 11189 and No. 11188) has...
12 March 2020
United Kingdom becomes legal battleground over EWC rights amid Brexit
Compared with other national systems that serve as the basis for several EWCs, the UK has provided a wealth of jurisprudence and the reason for this is an almost two-year battle between employers’...
12 March 2020
Great Britain: a coronavirus themed budget
As expected, Covid-19 was the main focus for the new Chancellor, Rishi Sunak’s first budget that he presented to parliament on 11 March. In it £30 billion (€34.1 billion) will be used to bolster...
12 March 2020
Germany: Amazon Deutschland affiliates with the HDE, the German Retail Federation, but without applying sector collective agreements
The German Retail Federation, Handelverband Deutschland – HDE, together with the US online retailing giant Amazon have confirmed that in February 2020 Amazon entered the HDE umbrella federation...
11 March 2020
EU: the European Commission presents its new Industrial Strategy for a globally competitive, green and digital Europe
On 10 March the European Commission presented its new strategy to support Europe’s industry face the twin challenges of climate neutrality and the digital transition. In its press statement, the...
11 March 2020
United States: coronavirus outbreak highlights inequalities in paid sick leave and relaunches debate on sick leave rights
Until now the US has opposed paid sick leave. This stance may be changing as the coronavirus takes a grip over the nation. Democrats are putting forward draft sick-leave legislation and the...
11 March 2020
Germany: services union Verdi publishes ethical principles for the use of artificial intelligence
On 3 March, German service sector union Verdi published its “guidelines for employing artificial intelligence”. Presented as a document “for debate” on the topic of AI technology, the text...
9 March 2020
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
Catherine Chavanier (CDC Habitat): “Social dialogue on AI facilitates its deployment”
In February, CDC Habitat (10,500 employees) signed a two-year framework agreement governing social dialogue on AI. Catherine Chavanier, HR Director of the subsidiary of CDC (Caisse des dépôts et...
2
France: La Poste to launch negotiations for an AI agreement
Following the lead of firms such as Axa, Syensqo globally, and more recently CDC Habitat, La Poste group management will open negotiations on an AI regulation agreement during the first half of...
3
France: bioMérieux’s new disability agreement pivots towards mental health
The news. On 6 January 2026, bioMérieux—an in vitro diagnostics specialist employing 4,400 people in France—signed a new four-year agreement “relating to the employment...
4
United Kingdom: launch of consultation on protection against detriment for industrial action
The British government launched a public consultation on 26 February regarding new protections for workers against "detriment" related to industrial action, scheduled to take effect in October...
12 March 2026
5
Germany: controversial collective bargaining compliance act adopted
On 26 February, the Bundestag approved the Tariftreuegesetz (collective bargaining compliance act), aimed at strengthening collective agreements and tackling social dumping by tying certain public...
26 February 2026
6
Germany: a wave of redundancy plans in the automotive sector
The latest financial results presented in early 2026 by major German car manufacturers show sharp declines. This collapse in profits has triggered the announcement or confirmation of massive job...
16 March 2026