THE HOT STORY

Unions warn of massive opposition in turnaround dispute with Volkswagen

Germany's IG Metall union has warned that its members will resist attempts by Volkswagen to undo a previously agreed restructuring package, although it stopped short of threatening strikes ahead of a critical board meeting scheduled for the end of this week that will see a vote on what currently are three rival restructuring proposals. The automaker's biggest overhaul to date could include plant closures, the carve-out of some units and 50,000 further ⁠layoffs. "I can only warn you: If the board tries to call this agreement into question again, then the factory floors will be up in arms at all our sites," Thorsten Groeger told workers in Hanover, one of the sites that faces closure. "We will oppose it with all our might," said the representative for Germany's largest union.

Reuters

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STRATEGY

Swiss Life to cut up to 600 jobs

Insurer Swiss Life plans to cut ‌up to 600 roles by the end of 2028 to improve efficiency, even as it reported a 3% rise in half-year premiums to 12.3 billion Swiss francs and announced a 250m Swiss franc share buyback. Around half of the job cuts will happen at the ⁠Swiss insurance business; the other half will come from the asset management unit mainly overseas. "We want to sustainably expand our business beyond 2027. This entails strengthening our position and our efficiency – also by leveraging the advancing digitalisation – to enable us to quickly capture further market opportunities in a focused manner," CEO Matthias Aellig said.

Reuters

Panasonic to sell business employing nearly 2,000 people in Slovakia

Panasonic has agreed to sell its European division, including two Slovak plants, to private equity firms Midas Atlantic Partners and The Najafi Companies. The transaction, which is expected to close on 1 February 2027, will affect nearly 2,000 workers in Slovakia. Panasonic will retain some production operations, which will be transferred to a new Slovak company. Ryo Kitaori, Panasonic Industry's strategy chief, said: "We are pleased to partner with Midas Atlantic and The Najafi Companies, and are convinced we have found the right home for the Business." The Slovak division generated €566.8m in revenue last year.

The Slovak Spectator

Volvo Cars to close Stockholm office

Volvo Cars is closing its Stockholm office on 1 March 2027. Approximately 450 employees are currently based in the office. Responsibilities are to be relocated to Volvo's Gothenburg headquarters as part of an effort to cut costs and boost efficiency. The Swedish automaker said concentrating resources across fewer local sites would help reduce complexity, ‌and accelerate cross functional collaboration and improve competitiveness. Volvo said it would manage the process in close dialogue with employees and employee representatives.

U.S. News

Reuters

WPP cutting up to 1,000 more jobs as AI reshapes advertising industry

London-listed advertising agency WPP will shed up to 1,000 more jobs in the second half of the year as new chief executive Cindy Rose accelerates restructuring efforts.

Financial Times

LEGAL

UK union slams scaremongering over zero-hours contracts

The UK's Trades Union Congress (TUC) has condemned attempts to weaken employment protections for zero-hours and variable-hour workers, labelling it "blatant scaremongering." Analysis by the TUC indicates that most employees in these roles remain with their employer for at least two years, contradicting claims that such positions are mainly held by students. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: "This analysis shatters the cynical claim that these are just students with a side hustle who can afford to lose shifts at the drop of a hat. The reality is most of these workers are reliant on their jobs as the main source of their income. That's why it's so important that the new Prime Minister ends the scourge of insecure work in Britain and delivers these new rights to guaranteed hours in full. Good employers have nothing to fear from these new rights."

The Independent UK

WORKFORCE

French pilots announce three-day strike

The SNPL, UNAC and SPL unions have called Volotea's France-based pilots to a three-day strike from 4 September following the failure of annual pay talks.

The Local

CORPORATE

Consultants head for an AI showdown - with their own clients

Consultants are coming under pressure as companies leverage AI to reduce costs, demanding lower fees or shifting work in-house, and impacting traditional consulting roles and revenues.

Financial Times

WORKPLACE

Employers using luxury offices to lure back remote workers

Demand for office space is evolving, with a shift from quantity to quality, according to real estate firm CBRE. The realtors' association NVM has also noted that employers are seeking to attract remote staff back to the office by enhancing the work environment. “Companies are certainly not renting more office space, but are investing money in improving their current office or moving to a more modern and better-located building,” NVM said.

NL Times

INTERNATIONAL

FIFO workers prioritise the 'simple things'

A survey by MPI Recruitment of more than 420 fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers in Australia's mining sector suggests that pay plays a marginal role when luring them to the industry. “What surprised us most about this research wasn't what FIFO workers wanted, but how consistent their responses were,” said Mark Pearce, MPI's marketing and workforce insights manager. Leadership, culture, team and job satisfaction were FIFO's leading drivers, according to MPI. “More than 90 per cent of workers selected one of four simple things. I believe it reinforces the idea that while most employers still think high salaries attract people to mining jobs, it's the everyday experience that shapes how people feel about their employer and whether they stay.” Pearce added: “It's a reminder [for employers] that if they want to attract and keep the right people, they'd do well to understand what people care most about first.”

West Australian

FamilyMart relaxes dress code to attract more diverse workforce

FamilyMart has relaxed its employee dress code in an effort to attract a more diverse workforce, allowing staff to choose their hair colour freely and permitting Muslim women to wear hijabs. The Japanese convenience store chain is also introducing its first uniform redesign in a decade, including a T-shirt option, while expanding recruitment through recorded and online interviews.

The Japan Times

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