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Human Times
North America
Election date set for VW plant in Tennessee

The National Labor Relations Board has scheduled an election at the Volkswagen (VW) plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from April 17 to 19. The election will be the first test of the United Auto Workers' (UAW) effort to organize nonunion automobile factories across the nation. The UAW aims to target more than a dozen nonunion auto plants, including those run by Tesla, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda, and others. The VW plant in Chattanooga has over 4,000 production workers, and a supermajority of them have signed cards supporting union representation. The UAW has previously come close to representing workers at the VW plant in two previous elections. The union has cited mistreatment by VW management and low pay as reasons for seeking unionization. The UAW's organizing effort comes after successful strikes against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, which resulted in pay raises and other benefits for workers.

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Human Times
UK
CBI uses gagging clauses to prevent discussion of sexual misconduct claims

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has admitted to using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent staff from speaking publicly about their workplace experiences. Up to 10 NDAs have been signed in the past year after the lobbying group's sexual misconduct scandal. The agreements have been accompanied by substantial financial settlements from the CBI. CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith has defended the use of NDAs, saying: "To the best of my knowledge anything we have signed in the past 11 months allows individuals to raise issues with the police.” MPs on a Treasury committee investigating sexism in the City recently called for the use of NDAs to be banned in such cases, saying they had the effect of "silencing the victim of harassment and forcing them out of an organisation, while protecting perpetrators."

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Human Times
Europe
Racial tensions cost German businesses skilled foreign labour

Reuters reports on how racial tensions in Germany are costing local businesses skilled foreign labour. Manager Joerg Engelmann says his chemical engineering company in Chemnitz, Germany, has lost skilled foreign workers due to xenophobia. The company is one of several German firms facing difficulty hiring and retaining staff because of anti-immigrant sentiment. Official estimates suggest Germany will be short of seven million skilled workers by 2035. Chemnitz, in eastern Germany, is trying to attract skilled workers but has become a focus of anti-immigrant feelings. The hardening climate extends beyond Chemnitz, with companies in other cities also losing workers due to xenophobia. Germany's economy shrank by 0.3% in 2023, the weakest performance globally among large countries. Discrimination against foreign workers is a problem, according to a survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The city of Chemnitz is increasing funds for anti-racism and pro-democracy projects and plans to address the issue of racism head-on as it prepares to be the European Capital of Culture in 2025.

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Human Times
Middle East
Lawyers need better understanding of 'emotional journey', says report

A study by the International Chamber of Commerce says lawyers need a better understanding of the "emotional journey" of the businesses they advise, as well as local values and practices to avoid cross-border disputes. The study of over 1,700 mid to senior-level managers indicated that the cultural backgrounds of business people and organisations profoundly influence their approaches to acquiring, maintaining and ending relationships. According to research, where conflicts arose, 50% of those questioned attributed contract failure to weak relationships between the parties, with the other half blaming contractual issues or performance. The report suggests that the ability of lawyers to understand relationships also affects a company's choice of external counsel. Some 47% of survey respondents said that they would prioritise individuals or firms showing cultural sensitivity. Roland Ziadé, an international arbitration partner at London headquartered law firm Linklaters, says there is an increasing move for lawyers to be "emotionally and culturally intelligent" as well as "legally savvy." He says the report reminds in-house and external counsel of the benefits of multilingual teams with cross-cultural experience. Jon Newman, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, says that "emotional intelligence is a critical skill for lawyers" - but most do not understand that point as they focus on the legal or commercial aspects of their roles.

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