Great Britain: the government is funding thousands of training courses in the green sector Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 01 December the UK executive announced it was providing £9.2 million (€10.69 million) in new funding for almost 9,000 green energy related training courses at accredited centres.…
Netherlands: the government is seeking to encourage older workers to work beyond retirement age Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Karien Van Gennip, has announced that she is seeking to change how companies view older employees in order to improve their situation on the labour market.…
Great Britain: launch of an index to evaluate corporate health oriented policies Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 15 November the UK employers’ organisation, the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) launched the Work Health Index (WHI). In a first, this unique tool, created with support from the NHS and the government, allows all private businesses, should they so wish, to evaluate what they are doing in terms of their employees’ health and well-being.
Italy: latest public ‘New Skills’ fund will enable companies to finance training for the ecological and digital transition Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Established in 2020 to finance massive professional requalification plans, the State’s ‘New Skills’ fund has just undergone a relaunch. At the end of October, Italy’s Court of Audit approved the €1 billion refinancing request made by the previous government. However, businesses only have until 31 December to sign the requisite trade union agreements in order to obtain the funds.
China: covid outbreak forces an exodus of hundreds of Foxconn workers Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 06 November Apple warned its customers that shipments of the latest iPhone models would be delayed because of a Covid outbreak at the Foxconn Zhengzhou plant, in Henan province, which is the company’s main production facility for the latest iPhone 14 Pro. While the US corporate giant maintains "the health and safety of employees comes first", the same cannot necessarily be said for its supplier contractor Foxconn. Since October 2022, the production facility, which employs some 300,000 appears to have been prioritising production metrics over health and safety regulations.
Great Britain: Interserve fined more than £4 million following employee personal data leak Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 24 October the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the independent supervisory body responsible for ensuring data protection, announced it had imposed a £4.4 million (€5.08 million) fine on UK construction company Interserve for breaches of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The UK company is accused of inadequate vigilance that resulted in the theft of the personal data of its 113,000 employees and ex-employees.
Free Great Britain: an online guidance service for companies to facilitate the employment of those living with disability Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 17 October the government announced the launch of an online platform providing guidance for employers to help them support and encourage the employment of people with illnesses or disabilities.…
United Kingdom: Living Wage rises by record 10.1% Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders The so-called "Living Wage", which is paid voluntarily by more than 11,000 employers across the UK, was increased to £10.90 (€12.03) an hour by the Living Wage Foundation, the organisation driving the movement. This change, announced by the organisation on 22 September, should benefit some 390,000 British workers as they grapple with soaring inflation.
Free Japan: significant progress made in human rights due diligence Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 13 September, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) released its Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains. The aim is to promote respect for human rights within companies and facilitate the implementation of human rights monitoring mechanisms in supply chains.…
Free Great Britain: a passport to facilitate recruitment in the food industry Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 05 September the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) together with the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) unveiled the launch of a Food and Drink Careers Passport to help people acquire the basic skills needed to start a career in the food and drink industry.…
