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Recent Editions
Human Times
North America
The U.S. Labor Department is to suspend Microsoft and Adobe from its Permanent Labor Certification, which allows companies to hire foreign workers to work permanently in the U.S., amid allegations of fraud. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said IT contractors Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro and HCL were also suspended from the program. The move came as the White House increases pressure on companies to hire more Americans. “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused this system more than Microsoft,” U.S. Vice President JD Vance said at a news conference on Thursday. “Now, our message to Microsoft and to any other foreign or domestic corporation is quite simple,” he added. “We obviously want you to thrive in the United States of America . . . We want people to invest in the United States of America, particularly the American technology sector. We are the biggest boosters of your industry. We want you to continue to grow and to employ a lot of people, but we want you to employ American workers.” Microsoft responded to Vance’s claims in a blog post, saying that “80 percent of the visas were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees.”
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Human Times
UK
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is to launch a three-month consultation into 'bogus self-employment' that could affect the financial models of companies such as Amazon, Evri and Deliveroo. Around 900,000 workers are treated as freelancers despite working like employees, with employers avoiding NI, pensions and holiday or sick pay. Critics say delivery work can mean below-minimum-wage pay and bypass dismissal protections. The review could disrupt UPS's plans to replace 3,200-plus UK workers with self-employed drivers. Reynolds said the practice "leaves people with the sense that playing by the rules doesn't pay."
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Human Times
Europe
The FNV and CNV unions in the Netherlands have called a regional transport strike for Wednesday that is expected to heavily disrupt bus services across the country. The unions have also threatened to repeat the walkout every week, potentially turning the one-day stoppage into sustained industrial action. The escalation follows an unresolved dispute between organised labour and regional transport employers. “Employers are holding on to drastic cuts in working conditions,” FNV negotiator Marijn van der Gaag said. “In doing so, they are forcing their staff to take action.”
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Human Times
Middle East
Mnzil, The Development Group and Capital Partners have launched a SAR1bn fund to develop purpose-built workforce compounds accommodating up to 50,000 workers across Saudi Arabia. Mnzil will operate the portfolio, TDG will oversee site selection, design and development, and Capital Partners will manage the fund. Development is expected to begin in Q4 2026 across major employment centres including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Khobar, Makkah and Madinah. Compounds will include furnished rooms, recreational facilities, communal areas and on-site services, with locations chosen to reduce commuting. Mnzil chief executive Majeed Albabtain said, “Improving workers' lives is a collective effort.” The partners see the model as supporting Vision 2030 while establishing workforce housing as a scalable institutional real estate asset class backed by employer demand and long-term leases.
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