Human Times

European Edition

12th October 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Dutch unions call regional transport strike

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.”

Dutch News

CROSS-BORDER INDEX

Every country scored on how complex it is for employers to send staff abroad

For HR and global mobility teams, cross-border work does not start with booking a flight. It starts with a legal assessment, but tighter visa rules, changing compliance requirements and expanding reporting obligations make every business trip or assignment harder to get right.

The new WorkFlex Cross-Border Index removes the guesswork. Based on almost 2 million analysed travel days from more than 500 companies, it shows where compliance needs the most lead time before a project timeline or client commitment is set.

Check how your company's target markets score →

WORKFORCE

Germany's population decline is far from uniform

By 2045, Germany's population is projected to decline from 83.5m to 81.8m, according to the Berlin Institute for Population and Development. The working-age population will decrease by 4.7%, driven by retiring baby boomers and low birth rates. Catherina Hinz, Institute President, said: "Demographic change is unfolding before our very eyes." While major cities like Berlin and Hamburg are expected to grow, many regions, especially in eastern Germany, will face significant population losses. Employers will therefore face materially different workforce conditions across Germany, with hiring capacity and labour availability likely to vary between shrinking areas and regions that continue to attract people.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

Greek wages increase by 30% since 2019

Wages in Greece have risen by an average of around 30% since 2019, according to labour market data. Increases exceeded 40% in some sectors. Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, employment has grown, and businesses in several sectors now struggle to recruit workers: conditions which have helped drive wages upwards.

GreekCitytimes

LEGAL

UK government targets 'bogus self-employment'

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."

Sunday Times

STRATEGY

Telia to cut around 900 jobs

Swedish telecom operator ‌Telia said this morning that it planned ⁠to cut around 900 jobs across the business and lower ‌its ⁠operating cost base by 1bn ⁠crowns ($99.96m), Reuters reports.

Reuters

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

UK union calls for training boost

Gary Smith, the general secretary of the UK's GMB trade union, has told The Times that employers should not sponsor overseas workers without first investing in training British workers. He said: "We are bringing in loads of agency labour from the Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, because we haven't trained welders in place. These are good-paid jobs. We are refitting and building the Royal Navy with labour from abroad. Why have we failed to train local kids to do that work, or local adults to retrain?" Smith said his stance is not against immigration but against using it to justify low wages without investing in local talent.

The Times

TAX

Hungarian government proposes wealth tax on ultra-rich

Hungary's government has proposed a wealth tax aimed at individuals with assets exceeding 1bn forints ($3.08m). The tax will impose an annual 1% rate on wealth above the threshold, increasing to 1.5% for those with over 100bn forints ($308m). The tax will encompass all forms of wealth, including real estate and investments. Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the tax proposals would shortly be published on the government website for public consultation; they are then expected to be approved by parliament.

U.S. News

RISK

Zelensky offers to halt strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow ceased its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He emphasised that any de-escalation must be mutual and backed by real guarantees. Zelensky made the remarks via the Telegram app while continuing discussions with European leaders about air defence packages. His announcement follows US President Donald Trump's call for Ukraine to stop targeting Russian refineries and to consider a change in leadership.

France 24

INTERNATIONAL

Microsoft, Adobe blocked from green-card programme amid visa fraud crackdown

The US 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 US, amid allegations of fraud. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said IT contractors Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro and HCL were also suspended from the programme. 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,” US Vice President JD Vance said at a news conference on Thursday. 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.”

Backlash against Google's India data centre

Google's planned $15bn data centre in Visakhapatnam, India, has sparked significant local opposition. Residents fear it will strain water and power resources while providing insufficient jobs. Google claims the facility - its largest data centre outside the United States - will generate $688m in local economic activity and support 4,200 jobs during construction. However, activists are demanding a halt to new data centres until environmental assessments are completed. Andhra Pradesh's government insists that residential needs will take precedence. "They are saying that Google is being established for the education and employment opportunities of our children . . . [but] we are already struggling with water scarcity," observed local shopkeeper Gubbala Ramanamma.

France 24

OTHER

WHO guidelines address rising obesity among younger children

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first global guidelines addressing rising obesity among younger children, recommending diet, exercise, and counselling over weight-loss drugs. According to UNICEF, obesity is now the most common form of malnutrition among school children and adolescents. The WHO said that weight-loss drugs may be considered for adolescents aged 10 to 19 only after other interventions have failed. For children under 10, the focus should be on lifestyle changes due to safety concerns regarding medication. Luz María De Regil, director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, ⁠said there is currently insufficient evidence on the efficacy of GLP-1 drugs, although researchers may revise their assessment as more data emerges. "The foundation of obesity care for children and adolescents is not medicine or surgery, but access to ⁠comprehensive support that enables healthy eating, physical activity and sustainable behaviour change," De ⁠Regil said.

U.S. News

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