› EU: Commission proposes Directive on non-EU seasonal workers

› EU: Directive proposed on "intra-corporate transferees"

› EU: Commission consults on future of pensions

› International: Etex signs European health and safety charter

› France: Employers without gender equality agreements to be fined

› Germany: Settlements fall in 2010 pay round

› Ireland: Employers call for minimum wage freeze

› Ireland: Minister supports simplified employment rights complaints

› Italy: Tensions rise as Fiat decides to produce new model in Serbia

› Spain: Bargaining reform talks open

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Collective bargaining, which remains a key means of setting pay and conditions and regulating the employment relationship in many European countries, continues to evolve, as underlined by a number of developments we report this month.

German employers and trade unions have jointly proposed legislation to counteract a court ruling that threatens to fragment the country’s bargaining system, while in Spain unions and employers have opened talks aimed at rationalising a complex and confused national bargaining structure.

In France, a collective agreement has regulated, for the first time, "portage salarial", a novel form of consultancy/freelance work, while forthcoming legislation will penalise employers that fail to negotiate on gender equality issues.

Mark Carley
European editor, XpertHR