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European Edition
3rd June 2025
 
THE HOT STORY
Ford workers strike for job security
Ford is facing a crisis as over 10,000 workers at its Cologne plant in Germany went on strike for the first time in its 100-year history. The strike was prompted by plans to cut 2,900 jobs. Industry experts, including Ferdinand Dudenhöffer from the Bochum Center for Automotive Research, warn that Ford's position in Europe is precarious as the company struggles to adapt to the shift towards electric vehicles. David Lüdtke from the IG Metall labour union says he remains committed to fighting for job security and fair compensation for employees.
LEGAL
Disabled workers in UK face 'pervasive' abuse
According to a Trades Union Congress (TUC) survey, 39% of disabled workers in the UK have faced "pervasive" bullying, discrimination, and harassment related to their disability in the past five years. The survey, which polled 1,000 workers, found that 15% had experienced intrusive questioning about their disability, while 14% felt uncomfortable due to stereotypes. Additionally, over 12% reported sustained bullying linked to their disability. The TUC said Labour's Employment Rights Bill, which is now in the Lords, will introduce protections to tackle what it described as the shockingly high mistreatment of staff with disabilities. TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “No one should face bullying, harassment or discrimination at work. But the number of disabled workers reporting that this is their everyday experience is shockingly high. It's time to stamp out this pervasive mistreatment. Disabled workers deserve dignity and respect at work like every other worker does.”
STRATEGY
Thyssenkrupp jobs loss warning
Thyssenkrupp is facing significant job cuts, with the IG Metall union estimating that over 20,000 positions could be at risk as the company transitions to a holding structure and divests parts of its business. The planned changes include the sale of minority stakes in several divisions and the potential outsourcing of up to 11,000 jobs in the steel sector, raising concerns among workers and union representatives.
Tariff uncertainty 'won't affect Holcim's US expansion'
The chief executive officer of Swiss building materials supplier Holcim has said that uncertainty over tariffs will not affect the company's plans to expand into the United States. "We produce locally and we sell to local customers. So the impact from the tariffs for us is non-existent," Holcim CEO Miljan Gutovic said at the opening of a €400m ($454m) net-zero cement plant in Greece, adding that the spin-off of the company's US business will take place by the end of June as planned.  "I think (it will happen) any day now, probably in the second half of June," Gutovic said.
WORKFORCE
Rubbish crisis looms in Dutch cities
Residents in major Dutch cities are facing increased rubbish accumulation due to a three-day strike by waste processing workers announced by the FNV trade union. The strike this week is a protest against a proposed €567 plastic tax on waste processors, which the union argues will unfairly burden households and threaten jobs. FNV spokesman Hanan Yagboubi said: “This tax is not being levied on the people causing the plastic problem, but the companies which process the waste.” As a result, cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht are likely to see a rise in litter and complaints during the strike. Amsterdam's finance chief has warned of “full containers, dumping, smell and litter.”
‘I’ve been tricked’: high-paid foreign workers reconsider ties to UK after rule change
Foreign-born white-collar professionals in the UK fear being ‘kept in limbo’ as they wait for government ministers to set out the details of new requirements for migrants, the FT reports.
HIRING
Türkiye's tourism sector struggles for staff
The tourism sector in Türkiye is grappling with a significant shortage of qualified personnel, particularly in dishwashing roles. Zafer Alkaya, general manager at Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort SPA, explained: "Turkish people do not want to work in dishwashing, and we cannot find employees for these positions." Despite offering salaries above the minimum wage, high rental prices are deterring local workers, leading hotels to recruit from countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, around 80% of dishwashers are Indonesian. The industry employs approximately 2m people during peak season, but many Turkish workers are opting for jobs in other sectors due to issues including housing and the lack of year-round employment.
INTERNATIONAL
Sri Lanka workers blindsided after UK garment factory shuts
More than 1,400 of roughly 2,800 workers are in limbo following the sudden closure of Next Manufacturing, a subsidiary of the British retail giant Next which is located in Sri Lanka’s Katunayake Free Trade Zone. The company has blamed “increasingly high operating costs.” Nandani, a machine operator who had worked for 19 years at the Next factory, said: “I am 49 years old. My livelihood suddenly ended. I don’t know what to do.” Labour rights advocates say Next Manufacturing’s closure has violated Sri Lankan law and risks undermining the country’s fragile economic recovery.
Chinese bank offers to help rich clients’ children gain top internships
Chinese regional lender Industrial Bank sparked outrage after a now-deleted post on the WeChat social media platform said that it could arrange for customers’ offspring to gain work experience at top firms including Google and JP Morgan - if they made US$1.4m deposits. The lender for Fujian province has since announced that it had paused the offer and apologised for any “misunderstandings caused by incomplete descriptions.”  In a statement, Industrial Bank said it had not directly arranged internships for clients’ children, but had merely intended to refer them to external recruitment consultants.
Riyadh's new metro cuts through social divisions in Saudi Arabia
The opening of Riyadh's new metro in December has significantly altered social interactions in the Saudi city, allowing diverse groups to share journeys for the first time.  The metro enables the mingling of various socio-economic classes and facilitates conversations and cultural exchanges among passengers. Sociologist Mohammed Al-Hamza observes that the metro has been "a major social and psychological event," and has fostered a shift in societal mindsets. The project, which is part of the Vision 2030 initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, spans 176 kilometres and serves 85 stations. Despite initial doubts about its usage, the metro has proven popular, and authorities are considering further expansions. Zayed al-Ghamdi, a civil servant, said: "Now, things have changed. You feel that society, with all its classes, is in one place."
Linkedin cuts 281 jobs in California
LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, has announced the layoff of 281 workers in California. The layoffs, which were communicated to employees on May 13, primarily affected software engineers and talent account directors. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has observed that up to 30% of the company's code is now generated by artificial intelligence.
 


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