Human Times

European Edition

8th October 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Spanish unions call general strike for November 11

A nationwide general strike in Spain over housing issues has been announced by labour unions for November 11. The UGT and CCOO unions called on people to "mobilise for better salaries, for decent housing and for price controls in the face of inflation that undermines our purchasing power." They said the proposed action "is the response to the insatiable real estate greed that speculates with one of the public's main rights, making access to a decent home practically impossible," as they denounced "a corporate policy that takes advantage of the country's economic growth to swell its wealth with large profits at the expense of working people's wages." The strike will take place a few weeks before a snap election in which the topics of rising rents and evictions feature strongly.

AFP

Reuters

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STRATEGY

Nokia plans to cut 253 jobs in Finland

Nokia plans to reduce its workforce in Finland by up to 253 positions as part of a cost-saving initiative. The company said it aims to redirect investments towards defence, artificial intelligence, and data centres. Currently employing about 6,800 people in Finland, the cuts represent approximately 3.7% of Nokia's workforce. Mikko Hautala, Nokia Finland's country manager, said: "Our intention is to continue investing in strategically important areas." Negotiations with employee representatives will begin on 12 October.

Helsinki Times

YLE Uutiset

HSBC to cut wealth management jobs in UK

HSBC is planning major job cuts across its UK wealth management business as part of a wider push to integrate AI. Around half of management and specialist roles could go, while financial adviser numbers may be reduced by up to 70%. The changes are currently under consultation; affected staff are expected to leave by the end of October.

France 24

Financial Times

Reuters

Pfizer to cut jobs in Italy

Pfizer is to cut around 330 jobs at its Sicily plant following unsuccessful talks in Rome between the US drugmaker and Italy's industry ministry, the CGIL, CISL and ⁠UIL labour unions have said. The industry ministry said "the points raised during the meeting serve as a starting point for strengthening the dialogue." Industry minister Adolfo Urso plans to visit the plant ‌on ⁠October 23, and further talks are scheduled for November 10.

Reuters

HIRING

Private-sector job ads rise in UK

Private-sector job vacancies in the UK have increased for the first time in over two years, according to a report from KPMG and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation. The report - where a figure above 50 represents growth - recorded a reading of 52.9, indicating month-on-month growth for the first time since 2024. Jon Holt, group chief executive at KPMG, said: "For the second month in a row we are seeing the jobs market starting to flicker back to life." However, he cautioned that the recovery remains fragile, with some sectors potentially favouring employers as job seekers increase.

The Times

WORKFORCE

Dutch transport unions prepare for strike action

Trade unions FNV and CNV will announce a regional public transport strike on Friday after the deadline for a collective labour agreement expired. The unions warned that if employers do not meet the deadline, they will initiate actions starting from October 12.

NL Times

ECONOMY

Germany factory production at highest level for 18 months

Germany's industrial production rose by 2% in August, reaching its highest level in 18 months, according to Destatis. This increase follows a 1.2% decline in July and is attributed to strong growth in the construction sector, which expanded by over 9%. Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING, observed: "After a setback in July, Germany's cyclical rebound gained new momentum in August." The auto sector, however, saw a decline of over 5%, partly due to factory holidays, and industrial activity overall "remains subdued," the economy ministry said.

France 24

LEGAL

UK court quashes five ex-traders' Libor rate rigging convictions

Five former Barclays traders who were accused of manipulating the interest rates used for loans between banks have had their convictions overturned by the UK's Court of Appeal. Jay Merchant, Jonathan Mathew, Philippe Moryoussef, Alex Pabon, and Colin Bermingham were previously convicted for manipulating Libor and Euribor rates. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) did not oppose the appeals. Tom Bushnell, a partner at law firm Hickman & Rose, said the SFO "must reflect on how its repeated failure to ensure these trials were conducted fairly contributed to the collapse of its most significant series of prosecutions of the past fifteen years."

RISK

WHO seeks answers from Russia after lab worker dies

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking more information from Russia regarding the death of Darya Shipilova, a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute in the Irkutsk region. Shipilova died from severe pneumonia: authorities are yet to determine the cause. Russian health officials have quarantined around 200 individuals but have reported no dangerous pathogens among those tested. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised the need for "timely, complete and transparent information sharing." The Kremlin stated that established procedures were followed in notifying the WHO, which said Russian authorities had reported that no plague cases had recently been registered in the Irkutsk region.

Copenhagen Post

Helsinki Times

INTERNATIONAL

Micron workers at Taiwan plant vote in favour of strike

Workers at Micron Technology's plant in Taiwan have voted overwhelmingly to strike after failed negotiations over bonus reforms. The union reported that 1,994 out of 2,258 eligible members supported the strike. Workers are demanding a one-off bonus equivalent to 83 months' salary and a system allocating 15% of operating profits for quarterly bonuses. Micron's previous offer of up to 68 months' pay was deemed insufficient. The Taichung union will continue negotiations despite the strike at the Taoyuan site, where the union has secured the right to establish picket lines.

France 24

OTHER

Procrastination 'is the biggest issue for university students'

Procrastination significantly impacts students' academic performance, according to a US study involving over 65,000 young people. Nearly 50% of respondents identified procrastination as a major barrier to their studies, surpassing issues including depression and anxiety. The study warns of a situation where procrastination leads to stress, sleep issues, and further procrastination. Itamar Shatz, the study's author, said: "Pretty much all of us procrastinate, but it's not a huge impediment for all of us. For the people that it is, it can be huge . . . It's an obstacle that can interfere with academic success, with success in the workplace, it can cause issues in relationships, it can cause stress, it can cause health issues and stop us reaching out for help."

The Guardian

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