Casino group Cirsa signs global agreement with UNI Global Union and commits to due diligence measures Transnational industrial relations On 1 March, the Spanish casino group (14,000 employees) signed an agreement on workers' rights and corporate responsibility with the global services trade union federation UNI Global Union, for an initial period of two years. The text commits the company to enacting due diligence measures on fundamental rights and the environment, as well as to actively combating sexual harassment within the company.
Luxembourg: OGBL union seeks breakthrough at Amazon National industrial relations The OGBL, the largest trade union in the Grand Duchy (with over 70,000 members), is for the first time presenting a list of candidates at Amazon ahead of the “social”…
United States: Starbucks pledges to start negotiations with Workers United union National industrial relations In a press release issued on 27 February, Sara Kelly, vice president and chief human resources officer of Starbucks (240,000 employees in the United States),…
France: RATP wants to trial four-day week National industrial relations On 21 February, Paris public transport operator RATP (65,000 employees) and three trade unions representative at the company (FO, CFE-CGC and UNSA) signed a three-year agreement (2024-2026) on employees’…
Germany: record rise in new union memberships National industrial relations Unions affiliated to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) recorded a 37% increase in new memberships in 2023. This new impetus for the movement can be explained by the need for security in a badly shaken economy, as well as the visibility of strikes and the results achieved in collective bargaining. This trend is likely to continue in 2024, in a labour market that is favourable to employees.
EU: social partners meet at summit to revive social dialogue Transnational industrial relations Almost 40 years after the first summit in Val Duchesse, Belgium, the social partners met at the same venue, on 31 January, under the aegis of the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The aim is to reach agreement on a re-launch of social dialogue, a few weeks on from the failure of negotiations over a framework agreement on teleworking and the right to disconnect.
France: Malakoff Humanis steps up support for victims of domestic violence and women suffering from endometriosis National industrial relations On 5 December 2023, social protection group Malakoff Humanis and five trade unions signed a new three-year agreement on professional equality. It allocates a budget for individual salary increases designed to close gender-based gaps, reinforces paternity leave and provides for days of absence dedicated to women's health.
Free Looking back at 2023: social dialogue returns to the fore Transnational industrial relations The year 2023 saw legislators, employers and trade unions agree to strengthen the role of social dialogue, both at company and European institution level. All are convinced of its importance, all the more so against the backdrop of crisis and environmental and digital transformation. This has given rise to dedicated initiatives, such as to strengthen European works councils and company agreements at national and global level.
France: Stellantis readjusts employment and career management agreement for the next three years Transnational industrial relations The management of Stellantis France and the representative organisations – the FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC and CFDT unions – have signed a new employment and career management (GEPP) agreement for 2024-2026. The aim of this agreement, which is in line with work done to date, is to respond to the challenges facing the automotive sector: the shift to electric vehicles, sustainable development and the transformation of professions.
Italy: new agreement on generational renewal at UniCredit National industrial relations The agreement signed on 19 December between Italy's second-largest bank and the Fabi, First-Cisl, Fisac-Cgil, Uilca and Unisin trade unions will enable 510 employees to take early retirement, while new recruits could total 424. The ratio of departures to new hires should therefore be higher than standard practice in the Italian banking sector (one new hire for every two departures).