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European Edition
14th August 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Sweden's IF Metall ends Tesla strike

Swedish trade union IF Metall is ​calling off its three-year dispute with Tesla after the ‌carmaker bought out all the union's striking members at the company. "This means that the conflict no longer has any effect," the union said. The dispute started in October 2023 when Tesla ​mechanics went on strike as the union demanded collective ⁠agreements with the automaker, which does ​not have manufacturing facilities in Sweden, but whose electric cars are serviced by IF Metall union members. "We can conclude that Tesla is so strongly opposed ​to collective agreements that they would rather buy out employees ​who are members of the union than give them safe conditions," IF Metall ‌observed.
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WORKFORCE

ABN Amro wants its workers back in the office

ABN Amro plans to require its employees to work in the office for at least three days a week in a bid to boost productivity and team spirit. The decision marks a notable shift from previous agreements allowing remote work since the pandemic. The bank has recently cut over 2,250 jobs as part of a reorganisation.  Marguerite Bérard, who took over as CEO in spring 2025 and who has expressed concern over low office attendance, also noted the integration of AI into daily operations. “We continued to integrate [AI] into daily work across the bank, with almost 50 use cases in production. In the second quarter, we launched our first GenAI-powered client voice bot to answer client questions and provide guidance on selected topics,” said Bérard. “We also introduced a GenAI knowledge assistant for Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) analysts, helping them access relevant policies, procedures and work instructions more easily.”

Russia is losing its Central Asian labour force

Russia is experiencing a labour shortage after migrant worker entries from Central Asia dropped by 15% in the first half of 2026. This decline, attributed to stricter migration policies and rising costs, has disrupted essential services. Alexander Safonov of the Financial University notes that bureaucratic hurdles deter workers, and meanwhile the Kremlin's focus on security has intensified scrutiny of migrants, leading to fears of military conscription. Central Asian countries are also diversifying their labour markets, as countries including Uzbekistan promote safer job opportunities abroad. "The trust Moscow has lost could translate into gains for other capitals," experts say.

Nurses in UK report ‘inhumane’ heat

The UK's Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said nurses are collapsing at work due to extreme heat in buildings that are unfit for record temperatures. The RCN said its members have reported temperatures in excess of 30C in UK hospital wards and care homes, where there is often no access to air conditioning, fans or even to windows that open. Hospitals and social care buildings are “utterly unprepared for extreme temperatures,” Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said. “It’s becoming an impossible and inhumane place to work or receive care.” Yvette Cooper, the UK’s health and social care secretary, has said the NHS needs to make sure buildings are more resilient in extreme heat conditions.
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LEGAL

Portuguese companies may not have to publish salaries in job adverts

Portugal is revising its pay transparency laws to align with the EU Pay Transparency Directive. The proposed changes will not require companies to disclose salaries in job adverts. Instead, candidates will learn about salary ranges only before signing contracts. Employers will also be prohibited from asking about previous salaries. Workers will gain access to salary information within their companies, and larger firms will face stricter reporting obligations. The proposal is still in draft form and must pass through legislative processes before becoming law.
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CYBERSECURITY

Russian ransomware group Clop claims cyberattacks on Shell and Philips

The Russian hacking group Clop has claimed responsibility for cyberattacks on Shell and Philips. Shell has acknowledged a potential incident and is investigating with security teams. Philips described the event as an attempted cyberattack on a specific server, which has been contained without affecting customer environments. Clop reportedly stole 89 gigabytes of Shell data and 13.5 gigabytes from Philips, including sensitive files. GalaxyWarden noted that the claims from Clop have not been independently verified. This is not Clop's first attack on Shell; the group previously targeted the company in 2023.
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ECONOMY

European drought hits crops and threatens €180bn economic blow

Severe heat and drought are damaging crops across Europe, with farmers facing sharply lower yields, water shortages and transport disruption as extreme weather strains the agricultural sector. Dutch potato farmer Hendrik Jan ten Cate expects his harvest to be about one-third below average, while Bosnian corn farmer Slavisa Lukic forecasts yields of just 1.5-2 tonnes per hectare, compared with 6-7 tonnes previously. The impact extends from Italian grapes and Czech hops to Hungarian dairy farming, while record-low Danube water levels are disrupting Romanian grain transport. In England, farms have invested in reservoirs and irrigation infrastructure but continue to face dwindling water supplies. Triodos estimates the heatwaves and drought could reduce EU GDP by 1%, or around €180bn, in 2026.
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INTERNATIONAL

California stonecutters fall ill with deadly disease

A new study from California's Department of Public Health indicates that Latino men in the state who cut artificial-stone countertops are falling ill from silicosis, an incurable and deadly lung disease, at an unprecedented rate. The number of local cases reported has increased more than tenfold in less than four years, from 2019 through 2022 there were 47 cases; from 2023 through August of this year, there have been 571. Latino men account for about 98% of cases. “It's become clear that [ . . . ] engineered stone countertops . . . cannot be manufactured safely and economically,” said David Michaels, professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University and co-author of the study. “This is a product that we do not need that is damaging the lungs of hundreds of workers [in California] and probably thousands of workers across the country.”

AI at Hyundai cuts working time by as much as 90%

More than eight in 10 office workers and engineers at Hyundai Motor Group now rely on AI tools that have reduced the time required to complete certain jobs by as much as 90%, the Korean company announced at an event at its Yangjae headquarters in Seoul. Hyundai's internally developed H Chat Pro, a platform that allows secure access to multiple generative AI models, helps staff with tasks including document drafting, information retrieval, data analysis and code development; on the factory floor, AI now performs real-time quality verification, cross-checking vehicle identification numbers against production records. Hyundai says H Chat Pro is in use in some 70 manufacturing sites worldwide, including in Korea, the United States, Europe, India, and the Asia-Pacific region.

PwC US CEO embraces custom AI assistant as firm pushes technology adoption

PwC US chief executive Paul Griggs has developed a custom AI assistant, dubbed “PG’s Whisperer,” which he uses throughout the day as the Big Four firm encourages greater adoption of artificial intelligence. Griggs created the assistant using two different AI models and keeps multiple chat systems open across his phone and computer, allowing him to compare information and responses. His increased use of AI comes as PwC experiences what Griggs described as its strongest pipeline of new clients.
 
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