Managing the fallout of Covid-19

During the week of 27 July, Portugal’s Council of Ministers is expected to approve measures from the Economic and Social Stabilisation Programme (PEES), which will entail the introduction of...

22 July 2020

EU: joint guidelines drawn up for safe return to work in chemicals industry

On 17 July, social partners in the European chemical, pharmaceutical, rubber and plastics industries – IndustriAll Europe on the trade union side and the ECEG (European Chemical Employers...

20 July 2020

France: tackling unemployment and preserving employment are the new Prime Minister’s top priorities

In his speech on France’s national 14 July holiday, President Macron presented the policy priorities for his last 600 days in office. The following day on 15 July his new Prime Minister...

15 July 2020

Australia: job retention aid to be sustained over the long term

Following a new outbreak of coronavirus cases in the capital of the Australian state of Victoria, Greater Melbourne, which has a population of over 5 million, went into lockdown once again for six...

13 July 2020

Germany: Verdi and Veolia Deutschland sign collective agreement creating ‘post-pandemic’ support fund for staff in waste management division

On Thursday 9 July, German services trade union Verdi and the management of the German subsidiary of environmental services group Veolia announced that they have signed a collective agreement...

10 July 2020

United Kingdom: job retention bonus payment for employers bringing back employees after furlough

On 08 July the UK government unveiled a vast post-Covid recovery plan that looks to inject £30 billion pounds (€33 billion). Dubbed the 'Plan for Jobs', the package of measures includes a £1,000...

9 July 2020

CSR: Covid-19 outbreaks in the heart of the EU have uncovered working conditions that are sometimes akin to modern-day slavery

The coronavirus has acted as a messenger. After an entire meat slaughtering sector was stigmatized in Germany, the hot seat of shame has been passed to the British online clothing company Boohoo...

9 July 2020

France: agreement reached at Safran group to avoid social breakdown

Negotiations concluded on Friday 3 July with the support of 3 organisations – the FO, CFDT and CFE-CGC (the CGT should decide by Wednesday) – prepared to sign the agreement. The agreement proposes...

8 July 2020

EU: ETUC and European union federations issue joint statement on involvement of workers in managing Covid-19 crisis

On 29 June, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the union federations IndustriAll Europe, UNI Europa (services), EFFAT (food, agriculture and tourism), EPSU (public service workers)...

6 July 2020

Spain: government, unions and employers sign pact to boost jobs

Today, on 3 July, representatives of the CEOE and Cepyme employer organisations and of the CCOO and UGT trade unions penned an agreement with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez to “reactivate...

3 July 2020

Italy: a selection of ‘Covid-Phase 2’ company agreements

Following the initial disruptive impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on production processes, and as a result of the safety measures that were adopted in line with Italy's national protocol signed in...

30 June 2020

Spain: agreement to extend state support for short time working until 30 September

On 25 June, the Spanish government and social partners reached an agreement on the conditions for extending the short time working arrangements that were implemented when the state of alert was...

26 June 2020

France: contours drawn for future short time working provisions under common law and as a long-term measure

On 24 June, French President, Emmanuel Macron gave a presentation to the social partners outlining the contours of the future short time working provisions that were formulated following a process...

25 June 2020

France: relaxation of the company health protocol

Since it can be observed that ‘the health situation is improving significantly’, it is possible ‘to envisage a further easing of activity-related health conditions’ outlined the new protocol...

24 June 2020

Great Britain: vulnerable people can return to work in August

On 22 June, the government announced the imminent end to lockdown arrangements for those most vulnerable (most at risk of suffering from Covid-19). From 06 July those deemed vulnerable to...

24 June 2020

Finland: telework recommendation lifted as of 01 August

Employers, who would have liked to see this happen sooner, applauded the government announcement on 23 June that it would no longer be recommending telework as of 01 August. The government...

24 June 2020

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France: Orange submits gender equality agreement – including AI provisions – for union approval

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

mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators

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 (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”

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

France: generative AI and older workers central to BPCE’s skills management strategy

On 17 July 2025, BPCE and its trade unions signed a second agreement on jobs and career management within the banking group. The text places generative artificial intelligence at the core of its...

15 October 2025

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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

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

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

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