THE HOT STORY

Uber Eats launches food delivery service in Finland

Uber Eats officially commenced operations in Finland on Wednesday, starting in Helsinki with plans to expand to Espoo and Tampere later this month. Matthew Price, Uber Eats' Northern Europe director, said: "This is a big moment for us in Europe." The move follows the exit of Foodora from the Finnish market, leaving Wolt as Uber's primary competitor. Uber aims to integrate ride-hailing with food delivery, offering options for couriers to work as either employees or entrepreneurs. Price said that Uber Eats will not allow couriers to share or rent their accounts; earlier this year, Yle reported about thousands of Wolt courier accounts being leased to others.

YLE Uutiset

LEGAL

Ireland launches GDPR investigation into Shein’s data transfers to China

Shein is facing an investigation by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) into the transfer of EU customer personal data to China. The regulator is examining whether the online retailer complies with GDPR requirements governing overseas data transfers. The DPC said the inquiry would assess whether EU user data receives protections equivalent to those required within the EU. Shein said it takes data protection obligations “extremely seriously” and has been engaging with the regulator on its compliance processes and data handling standards.

Reuters

RTÉ News

WORKPLACE

Albert Heijn guards to wear body cameras

Albert Heijn is launching a pilot program to position body cameras on security guards in response to rising incidents of aggression against its employees. The trial will take place in four stores in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with plans for expansion if successful. Sonja Boelhouwer, director of stores and logistics, said: "The vast majority of our millions of customer contacts proceed without problems, but still too many incidents occur." The Dutch Data Protection Authority has advised caution amid privacy concerns, saying that body cameras should only be used when employee safety cannot be ensured otherwise.

NL Times

STRATEGY

BioNTech shuts down COVID vaccine production

BioNTech, the German company that is best known for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, is ceasing production of the vaccine and transferring responsibilities to Pfizer. The company is restructuring to concentrate on cancer research, citing a significant drop in demand for COVID vaccines. BioNTech plans to close several production sites, affecting up to 1,860 jobs. The closures are expected to be completed by the end of 2027. BioNTech's revenues fell to €118.1m in Q1 2023, with net losses rising to €531.9m, largely due to research investments. "In the course of this year we will produce the last doses here in Germany," a spokeswoman said.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

WORKFORCE

Welcome to the Great Hunkering Down

The FT's Sarah O'Connor reports on how employees’ propensity to quit has plunged since its peak in 2021 amid macroeconomic uncertainty and regular warnings about looming AI-induced job losses.

Financial Times

RISK

European Commission 'is in contact with Anthropic regarding Mythos'

European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has said the European Commission is in contact with Anthropic regarding Mythos ‌and is assessing its possible implications. "The commission representatives ⁠met with Anthropic and was briefed on technical details around cyber capabilities and the risk of this Mythos preview, so we are currently assessing possible implications in light ‌of ⁠the EU policies and legislation," Dombrovskis told reporters on Monday.

Reuters

LEADERSHIP

Ahold Delhaize nominates Thierry Garnier as next CEO

Albert Heijn parent company Ahold Delhaize intends to appoint Thierry Garnier as its new CEO in 2027. He is expected to take over from current CEO Frans Muller in April. Muller will retire after nearly nine years at the helm. Garnier, who is currently CEO of Kingfisher, has extensive retail experience, including over two decades at Carrefour. Ahold Delhaize reported total revenues of €22.3bn in the first quarter, a 4.3% decrease compared to the first quarter last year. Excluding unfavourable exchange rates, this would have represented a 2% increase.

NL Times

INTERNATIONAL

Humanoid maker 1X opens new US factory

OpenAI-backed, Norway-founded robotics startup 1X has opened a new 58,000-square-foot factory in Hayward, California. The company said the facility will have the capacity to build 10,000 robots in its first year, and plans to make 100,000 robots by the end of 2027 after completing construction of a larger manufacturing hub in San Carlos, California. Bloomberg notes that 1X’s “Neo” humanoid has generated a buzz for its soft, human-like body, which is designed to help with domestic tasks including folding laundry and tidying up. The model, which can talk and learn new skills over time, is currently available for pre-order at $20,000.

Bloomberg

India issues nationwide heatwave advisory to protect workers

As temperatures exceed 47°C in parts of India, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has mandated urgent safety measures for workers, especially those in outdoor roles. The advisory includes flexible work hours, cooling breaks, and access to drinking water. Suchita Dutta, executive director of the Indian Staffing Federation, emphasised the importance of these measures for worker safety and industrial productivity. The National Human Rights Commission has also urged states to protect vulnerable populations from extreme heat, highlighting the need for effective implementation of relief measures to prevent heat-related casualties.

Livemint.com

Monthly minimum income in Venezuela to rise to $240

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez has announced a rise in the monthly minimum income to $240 and pensions to $70 amid ongoing protests among workers demanding higher salaries due to soaring inflation, which reached 649% in March. Rodriguez acknowledged the protests, stating: "When I see workers protesting, I think, 'They're right.' We want better wages for workers." The last salary increase occurred in March 2022, and the depreciation of the bolivar has significantly raised the cost of bonuses. Protests have intensified since the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, with public sector workers, numbering over three million, increasingly voicing their discontent. Rodriguez also emphasized the need for further measures to support the elderly, who have been particularly affected by the country's economic crisis.

U.S. News

Korea launches campaign urging fair treatment of migrant workers

A new campaign in Korea aims to enhance respect for immigrant workers by encouraging employers to use their given names instead of dismissive labels. Launched by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Immigrant Worker Labor Respect Campaign began in Ulsan, and features safety helmets engraved with the individual's name. The initiative aims to address a culture where foreign workers are often referred to by generic titles, undermining their dignity. The ministry said: "No worker should face discrimination or safety gaps because of nationality." The campaign will expand nationwide, reflecting Korea's evolving multicultural landscape.

The Korea Times

OTHER

Food recalls issued in France over contamination risks in coffee, fish and meat

French authorities have issued multiple supermarket food recalls involving coffee, mackerel and minced beef due to contamination and safety concerns, with consumers advised to return affected products for refunds. A Monoprix coffee product has been withdrawn nationwide after detection of ochratoxin A, a potentially carcinogenic toxin that can damage kidneys, while mackerel fillets sold by E.Leclerc were recalled over excessive histamine levels that can cause food poisoning. Separately, minced beef sold at a Carrefour Market store has been recalled due to Listeria contamination, posing serious health risks particularly to vulnerable groups. All recalls urge consumers not to consume the products and to return them to stores.

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