Collective Bargaining

The number of employees working only part-time increased by 59,500, or 22%, year-on-year to 326,700 in the first half of 2013, according to an employment analysis to be discussed by the government. In 2011, 5.4% of the employed worked part-time. In 2012, their share rose to 5.5%. As to gender, 11.3% of employed women and 3.1% of employed men had part-time jobs. These figures are still substantially lower compared to the EU: the share of employees with part-time jobs in the EU rose from 19.2% in 2010 to 20.4% in the first half of 2013.
English: http://praguemonitor.com/2013/11/27/no-employees-part-time-jobs-grows ...

The country's provisional government program introduces a minimum wage of €8.50 an hour from 2015. Some 17% of the workforce can profit from this statutory national minimum, mainly in the service sector. Planned are also improved pension benefits. From July 2014, workers who have paid social security contributions for 45 years will be able to retire on a full pension at 63, two years earlier than currently. The business community speaks about `election gifts'.
English: http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/27/news/economy/germany-coalition-economy/
http://www.euronews.com/2013/11/27/german-businesses-criticise-minimum-wage/

Plans to introduce compulsory collective bargaining for all companies will be presented by the Minister for Jobs in December. At present workers have a legal right to join a trade union, but employers are not obliged to negotiate with them. The proposal has been agreed by the coalition parties and will oblige companies to negotiate with workers, but not necessarily with trade unions. A provision will be made in the collective bargaining system for firms that engage with works councils rather than trade unions. Part of the process are a standard for the kind of works councils that will be recognised and an anti-victimisation code for those who engage in trade union activity.
English: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/firms-to-be-forced-to-negotiate ...

The negotiations in the crafts, services, information and consultancy branches led to a new collective agreement. The agreed pay increase will be 2.45% from 1 January 2014 onwards. The lowest wages increase with 2.6%. The 2015 increase will be based on the inflation plus 0.35% (plus 0.5% for the lowest wage levels. In other smaller branches (travel agencies, film industry and, for the first time since years, private health and rehabilitation centres) similar agreements were concluded.
German: http://www.oegb.at/cs/Satellite ...
https://www.wko.at/Content.Node/iv/presse ...

A broad coalition led by the trade unions announced their first mass demonstration against austerity policies, imposed by the Troika (EU Commission, IMF and European Central Bank) for 14 December 2014. Unionists from workers, farmers, teachers and students organisations PEO, DEOK, OELMEK, POED, OLTEK, POAS, EKYSY, PSEM, and EKA, motivated the decision to organise this mass demonstration by the fact that the strict austerity measures imposed by the Troika and those who abide by its policies lead to the destruction of the social rights they have secured.
English: http://www.financialmirror.com/news ...

In the 3rd quarter of 2013, the average monthly gross wages were €930 and the average hourly gross wages were €5.58. Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2012, the average monthly gross wages increased 8.8% and the average hourly gross wages increased 7.1%. Real wages, which take into account the influence of the change in the consumer price index, increased 5.8% in the 3rd quarter of 2013. Compared to the same quarter of 2012, real wages increased for the ninth quarter in succession. The average monthly labour costs per employee increased the most in information and communication (13.9%) and the average hourly labour costs increased the most in transportation and storage (11.0%), whilst these costs per employee decreased the most in arts and entertainment (2.9%) and recreation (6.0%).
English: http://www.stat.ee/65318

Amazon workers in logistics centres in Leipzig and Bad Hersfeld have walked off the job in an ongoing protest over collective bargaining, wages and working conditions. Trade unions have announced more actions. Amazon management is still refusing to talk, stating it refuses to `be blackmailed in to cooperating with an organisation that threatens to ruin Christmas for German children'. Other frolicsome statements by the management, `snowfall is a bigger problem than worker strikes', testify their dismissive attitudes.
English: http://www.dw.de/strike-hits-amazon-logistics-centers-in-germany ...
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/25/german-amazon-employees-strike-pay
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57614091-93/amazon-snowfall-is-a-bigger-problem ...

The Global Gender Gap Report ranks countries based on where women have the most equal access to education and healthcare, and where they can participate most fully in the country's political and economic life. The Index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria, and provides country rankings that allow for effective comparisons across regions and income groups, and over time. According to the 2013 report, Icelandic women pretty much have it all.
English: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/features/article/why-scandinavian-women ...
http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2013

There is still age discrimination on the labour market. According to a poll, more than a quarter of people over 60 who retire do so unwillingly. Some of the employees surveyed said that they felt opportunities for older workers were so limited that they felt compelled to simply withdraw from the labour market. Only one third said they stopped working due to health reasons. Employers don't seem to bother for a higher share of older people in the workplace.
English: http://cphpost.dk/news/message-to-older-workers-no-help-wanted ...

Recent figures on the unemployment show that after the tourist season ended the number of unemployed rapidly rose. In the meantime other data show that just four months after the country joined the European Union, 151 Croatian doctors have already moved abroad. The increase in the number of doctors leaving the country is explained by better working conditions in the rest of the EU as well as better further education.
English: http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Business/2013-11-18 ...
http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Business/2013-11-25 ...
Focus on country data: http://www.indexmundi.com/croatia/