25 July 2019
On 24 July 2019, the two main Italian union federations for metalworkers, FIOM-CGIL and FIM-CISL, signed a new collective agreement (for the period 2019-2022) at Lamborghini, the luxury automotive company which employs around 2,000 workers at its site in Sant’Agata Bolognese. The most interesting feature of this agreement is the commitment to establish a bilateral commission with the...
22 July 2019
Thanks to its online surveys, the anonymous chat app for verified employees Blind, claim to be in touch with workers in the technical industry. On 15 July, it presented the results of a survey of 3,000 technical workers’ opinions on trade unions and unionism. 30% on average believed a trade union could be useful and the three most mentioned companies in this regard are Amazon, Oracle, and Microsoft.
18 July 2019
An Expert Group on European Works Councils had been the European Commissions’ compromise response to its assessment of the EWC Recast Directive (2009/38/EC); i.e. no new revisions to the text, but instead the establishment of a joint group of experts that would collaborate on preparing a practical handbook with relevant best practices. The first meeting of the group of experts from both employers and trade union bodies was held on 01 April 2019. The meeting adjourned however with no agreement possible and as a...
18 July 2019
On 17 July Orange together with the international services union federation Uni Global, and the Orange Union Alliance (that brings together union organizations represented within the Orange group, c.f. article No. 070469) signed its third global agreement ‘promoting workplace gender equality, combatting discrimination and violence, and promoting work-life balance.’ This new agreement seeks to ensure occupational gender equality, tackle discrimination and violence, and promote work-life balance especially by...
12 July 2019
With the Global Climate Strike, founded following the movement propelled by the emblematic Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, having called for a global strike to protect the planet on 20 September, some employers are taking the lead on the matter, the Financial Times revealed in recent days. The British newspaper asked major employers what they plan to do when the day of the strike comes around. Patagonia, the US clothing brand, said that it always encourages its employees to campaign for the environment and even...
10 July 2019
Following months of tensions the major Labour Party affiliated trade unions have finally agreed on a common position over Brexit. They are calling for a referendum to be held over any deal (or indeed a no deal) between the EU and the Conservative government and they will use such an occasion to campaign for remaining in the EU.
9 July 2019
This global framework agreement, which was signed on 09 July by the French automaker Renault Group along with IndustriALL Global Union, the Secretary of the Renault Group Works Council (a global council) and the trade union bodies represented within it, is in fact quite unique. Entitled, ‘Building the world of work together at Renault Group’, Renault’s second global framework agreement (its first was signed in 2013 and addressed fundamental rights at work, c.f. article No. 130445) comes at a time when the...
8 July 2019
Seven independent trade unions have joined forces to promote greater diversity of opinion, amid the so-called ‘duopoly’ of the CCOO and UGT, the two leading forces that dominate the union landscape in Spain. They are calling for reforms to legislation that they believe “consolidates” the unfair balance of power in favour of the two largest unions.
8 July 2019
On Sunday 7 July, Germany’s largest lender Deutsche Bank announced a vast restructuring that seeks to make the group more profitable and streamlined, with some 18,000 job cuts planned by 2022, which accounts for around one fifth of the company’s current workforce. Deutsche Bank, which has been in an almost perpetual crisis since 2008, plans in particular to slash parts of its investment banking business. Traditionally a strong earner for the bank, this division has caused a fair share of problems in recent...
5 July 2019
Social partners from Germany’s banking sector, including both public and private banks, unveiled the result of their negotiations on the morning of Thursday 4 July. The new collective agreement, valid until June 2021, is to apply to close to 190,000 workers and includes a pay rise of 4%, which will take effect in two stages. In addition to the pay rise, the agreement includes a package of measures aimed at preparing workers for the digital transition. Furthermore, negotiations were opened on several topics,...
