Exclusif Réglementaire Italy: European pay transparency directive, a major step forward for businesses Comp and Ben @en Italy’s labour market continues to suffer from limited pay transparency and a persistent gender pay gap. The forthcoming implementation of the EU pay transparency directive — still awaiting transposition — could help address these issues, provided it drives a genuine cultural shift.
Réglementaire Ireland: minimum wage to rise by nearly 5% on 1 January 2026 National legislation In its 2026 budget, presented on 7 October, the Irish government accepted the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission report on the minimum wage.…
Italy: law on pay rules out introduction of national minimum wage National legislation A delegation law published in Italy’s official journal on 3 October grants the government six months to issue decree-laws on pay and collective bargaining. The measure effectively rules out the introduction of a national statutory minimum wage, as minimum pay levels in Italy are already determined through sectoral collective agreements.
Poland: bill tabled to swiftly transpose European adequate minimum wage directive National legislation Since the bill to transpose the European directive on adequate minimum wages has yet to be approved by the Polish Council of Ministers, left-wing MPs — members of a party within the governing coalition — took the initiative to submit their own proposal to the Sejm on 23 September. Their goal is to ensure the swift adoption of legislation that aligns with EU requirements.
Netherlands: bill seeks to allow use of partial unemployment during times of crisis National legislation On 26 September, the Dutch Council of Ministers submitted a bill to the Council of State “on preserving the workforce in times of crisis”(Wpc).…
Belgium: Royal Decree sets average pay rises for companies at 0% for 2025-2026 National legislation As the social partners were unable to agree on the maximum margin of the wage cost evolution for the years 2025-2026, the Belgian government has set the so-called ‘wage norm’…
Réglementaire Poland: 3% minimum wage hike confirmed for 2026 National legislation On 15 September, the Polish Council of Ministers published in the official journal its regulation setting the gross monthly minimum wage from 1 January 2026.…
Austria: rapid collective agreement struck amid crisis in metalworking industry National industrial relations While conditions in Austria’s metalworking sector are not yet critical, the industry is facing a trend of job losses, declining orders and stagnation. In response to the crisis, the social partners agreed in just a few hours on a two-year agreement with two increases of between 1.41% and 2.1% and a 'purchasing power bonus' that can be converted into days off.
United Kingdom: German discount chain Aldi keeps its promise to be the best-paying supermarket Comp and Ben @en The 28,000 British employees of German discount supermarket chain Aldi were handed a 1.9% pay rise on 1 September. In July, the retailer announced that the minimum hourly wage would rise from £12.75 to £13.00 (€14.66 to €14.95),…
Réglementaire New Zealand: employees now allowed to disclose their pay at work National legislation New Zealand has banned retaliation against employees who disclose their salaries at work. The bill, introduced by a Labour opposition MP,…
