Human Times

European Edition

14th September 2026

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THE HOT STORY

Volkswagen called on to commit to 2024 labour agreement

Germany's ‌IG Metall union wants a commitment from Volkswagen to a landmark labour deal that was reached in December 2024. A leading representative for the union cited fears that a recent turnaround agreement could undermine the 2024 deal with widespread job losses, and members are to invoke a legal clause, which was part of the agreement, calling on management to negotiate on ⁠the matter. "Volkswagen expressly welcomes this," the carmaker said. "From the company's perspective, this step is necessary to consistently implement the measures adopted in 2024 and, at the same time, to address the additional challenges facing ‌the ⁠entire automotive industry," it said. "This uncertainty cannot continue for the workforce at our locations," observed Daniela Cavallo, Volkswagen works council chief.

Reuters

THE NEW TALENT EQUATION

AI adoption is accelerating, but measurable impact is not.

Organizations worldwide are rapidly adopting AI across Talent Acquisition and workforce planning. Yet while implementation is accelerating, measurable business impact and workforce readiness are struggling to keep pace. New research from Everest Group, based on interviews with senior TA and HR leaders, reveals that many organizations have moved beyond experimentation, but few have successfully translated AI investments into meaningful transformation.

Although AI is already improving efficiency, automating routine tasks, and supporting better decision-making, significant barriers remain. The research explores where organizations are seeing tangible results, why progress often stalls before lasting change is achieved, and how workforce readiness has become a critical factor for success.

Download the report to discover where AI is creating value today, what is preventing organizations from realizing its full potential, and how leading companies are turning AI adoption into measurable business outcomes.

Download the report

STRATEGY

Bitcoin Suisse to cut up to half of jobs in Switzerland

Zug-headquartered crypto firm Bitcoin Suisse is to shed up to 60 of its 120 employees in Switzerland as ‌it seeks to reorganise its business. "Software development and back-office capabilities will increasingly be consolidated in our international hubs, ⁠allowing us to scale faster, access broader talent pools and invest more effectively in our future offering," the company said. Bitcoin Suisse, which has offices in Liechtenstein, Abu Dhabi and Bermuda, said it is also closing its IT development site in Copenhagen.

Finews

GSK to shut vaccine factory in Germany

GlaxoSmithKline is to close a vaccine plant in Dresden, Germany, next year. German trade union Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (IGBCE) said the closure would put 641 jobs at risk. "With decreasing demand for traditional egg-based flu vaccines, meaning we have more capacity than we need, ⁠we've conducted a review of the viability of our two flu vaccines manufacturing sites in Dresden, Germany, and Ste-Foy, Canada," GSK said. "Following this, we have taken a difficult decision to consolidate operations at one site. We have selected the site in Canada, which can fully match anticipated future demand in a sustainable and competitive way."

Reuters

Poland's Booksy announces layoffs

Polish technology company Booksy is to reduce its workforce by about 20%, equating to roughly 200 jobs, as it transitions to an AI-first operating model. CEO and co-founder Stefan Batory said: "AI tools are changing how the company works." Founded in 2014, Booksy serves around 350,000 customers across various markets, including the US and Europe. The company has raised $120m from investors and is focusing on profitability while aiming for organic growth of 40% to 50% annually. Booksy said it plans to expand primarily in existing markets.

Warsaw Business Journal

WORKFORCE

UK government rethinks youth minimum wage rise

The UK government is reconsidering planned minimum wage increases for young workers due to concerns about rising employment costs. Ministers are examining whether the rapid wage hikes have contributed to the youth jobs crisis: nearly 1m 16 to 24-year-olds are neither working nor studying. A government spokesperson explained that while they remain committed to closing the wage gap, they have asked the Low Pay Commission to consider employment opportunities in future recommendations. Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into youth worklessness, has suggested that slowing wage increases may help persuade companies to hire young people more readily.

Bloomberg

The Daily Telegraph

City AM

Radio France staff strike over far-right appointment

Staff at Radio France launched a two-day strike on Sunday in response to the appointment of Charles Sapin, deputy editor-in-chief at the far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles. Unions argue that Sapin promotes far-right ideologies which contradict Radio France's public service values. Management defended the decision, citing the importance of pluralism ahead of the upcoming presidential election. France Inter director Celine Pigalle described pluralism as "fundamental" for a public radio station. "I believe I can trust him not to put France Inter's airwaves at risk," she said.

France 24

TAX

Dutch workers face €4bn income tax rise

NL Times reports that a substantial setback for Dutch workers has been discovered in the Prinsjesdag documents, the papers that are published on the Netherlands' annual budget day. The documents obtained by RTL indicate that income tax for workers will increase by around €4bn next year, and this could climb to nearly €8bn a year, while the Cabinet's purchasing-power package only partly cancels earlier tax raises.

NL Times

LEGAL

UK's TUC demands action on zero-hours contracts

Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak is urging the UK government to fulfil its promise to eliminate zero-hours contracts. He says that employer organisations have been "loudly campaigning" against reform. Nowak stressed the need for greater income security for low-paid workers, who often face unpredictable hours and earnings. Ahead of the opening day of the TUC Congress in Brighton, Nowak said: “It's time for government to face down the business lobbyists and deliver its zero-hours crackdown in full. Time and time again, we hear baseless myths from the usual suspects, and too often the actual costs to workers is ignored in favour of the hypothetical costs to bad bosses . . . Good employers have nothing to fear from these new rights. This will level the playing field for them and stop the cowboys.”

The Standard

RISK

French police suspect train derailment was sabotage

Investigators are probing a train derailment in northwest France, which injured 44 people, one critically. A police source has indicated that sabotage is the primary line of inquiry. The train, which was carrying 186 passengers, derailed near Renault's factory in Cléon. Rouen prosecutor Sebastien Gallois confirmed that the driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Deutsche Welle (EN)

France 24

ECONOMY

Ukraine's economy hit hard by Russian strikes

Ukraine's economy is facing severe challenges this winter due to intensifying Russian strikes that have targeted key sectors including energy and grain exports. Prime minister Sergiy Koretsky said the situation is "the most difficult" it has been, and economy minister Oleksandr Kravchenko warned of a "very difficult" winter ahead, citing significant infrastructure destruction. Roksolana Pidlasa, the head of the budget committee in Ukraine's parliament, described a bleak outlook. "It can get worse, but it's already bad now . . . Russia specifically targets revenue-generating industries by attacking grain corridors, by attacking seaports and metallurgical plants," she said. "It is not something that you could reconstruct quickly."

France 24

TECHNOLOGY

AI industry urged to hit brakes

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for a slowdown in AI development following warnings from industry researchers that a superintelligent AI would be a threat to humanity. In an essay, Amodei proposed inserting independent evaluators into frontier AI companies, applying common safety standards among developers and negotiating international cooperation. OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk have backed Amodei's call for a more measured approach. However, some are questioning Amodei's motives: sceptics suggest he may be trying to engineer state regulation to suppress open source competition.

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