Human Times

European Edition

29th June 2026

THE HOT STORY

Volkswagen aims to cut up to 100,000 jobs in next years

Manager Magazin has reported that Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume aims to cut up to 100,000 jobs worldwide and discontinue production at four of the group's German plants, as he seeks to reduce investment by around 15% to just over €130bn ($148bn) over the next five years. "The entire group, including its brands and subsidiaries, must undergo far-reaching change," a Volkswagen spokesperson said.

Reuters

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LEADERSHIP

Finland wants its leaders to plan for worst-case scenarios

Finland’s National Defense Course is designed to get leaders, and future leaders, thinking about how to plan for, and respond to, worst-case scenarios so that they can help keep the country functioning during a national emergency. The highly coveted invitations to the secretive training programme are sent to Finland’s most influential chief executives four times year. Former Nokia Oyj CEO Pekka Lundmark says the training changed how he approached new executive roles; each time he stepped into a new one, he would review a company’s crisis plan.

Bloomberg

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Europe’s heat wave 'is the worst on record'

The heat wave in Europe is officially the most severe ever recorded in the region, according to researchers at World Weather Attribution, who said such an intense June heat wave would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago. “Yes, this is climate change,” said Friederike Otto, a professor at Imperial College London and a co-author of the study. “Yes, it’s us, no, it’s not El Nino, yes, we have the solutions, no, we’re not implementing them fast enough.”

Bloomberg

WORKFORCE

One in four in UK worse off after going to university

UK government-commissioned research conducted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found that a quarter of graduates will end up financially worse off across their lifetime because they went to university, with losses of more than £90,000 for a tenth of male graduates, once student loan repayments and taxes are taken into account. Report author Kate Ogden said she hoped the findings would help young people "make decisions about whether, what and where to study." Skills minister Jacqui Smith, responding to the report, said "not all degrees are equal," and added that as well as "variation by subject, too many franchised and poor-quality courses do not offer a good deal to young people – selling the dream then leaving students in the lurch . . . my message to those thinking about university: choose carefully. Don't walk into a degree by default."

Financial Times

The Times

The Independent UK

University staff in Netherlands to receive 4.1% pay rise

University staff in the Netherlands will receive an average pay rise of 4.1% next year following a new collective labour agreement. The agreement reached between universities and trade unions includes a 3.1% wage increase, a monthly payment of €50, and a one-off bonus of €1,534. Additionally, it addresses menopause support for female staff. The agreement will last until 1 July next year, covering around 66,000 employees.

NL Times

ECONOMY

German consumer confidence stabilises

German consumer confidence improved modestly heading into July, with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) consumer climate index rising to -29.2 from -29.7 in June. However, the reading fell short of economists' expectations for -27.8, indicating households remain cautious despite easing geopolitical tensions. NIM said consumer sentiment has stabilised at a subdued level, helped by peace negotiations involving Iran and the US and lower oil prices, which have eased inflation concerns and slightly improved economic expectations. Income expectations also edged higher, although consumers remain less optimistic about their financial outlook than before the recent Middle East conflict.

Wall Street Journal

TAX

EU proposes sweeping tax simplification package to cut red tape and boost investment

The European Commission has unveiled a broad package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying EU tax rules, reducing administrative burdens, and improving the bloc’s competitiveness. The proposed “taxation omnibus” would eliminate withholding taxes on payments between subsidiaries within the EU, align EU and global corporate tax frameworks, and encourage research and development investment by allowing companies to immediately expense tangible R&D assets. The Commission estimates the measures could save businesses €8bn annually, including €3.3bn in administrative costs, as part of a wider effort to reduce regulatory burdens across sectors such as taxation, energy, digital policy, agriculture, and sustainability. The proposals require approval from EU member states before they can take effect.

EurActiv

INTERNATIONAL

Mining giant hit with class action

Women at Fortescue Mining have launched a class action in Melbourne, alleging systemic sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the company's Australian remote worksites. The action, filed by law firm JGA Saddler, follows previous claims against other mining firms. “We were speaking to thousands of women in mining in the Rio Tinto and BHP sex discrimination class actions and Fortescue's worksites kept coming up time and time again as places that were unsafe for women,” JGA Saddler lawyer Paris Hamrey said. “There have been reports of sexual assault, violence and retaliation especially when female staff reject sexual advances. We have heard from women who have lodged complaints about unacceptable behaviour but are then dismissed, demoted, silenced or black-listed from the industry . . . One of the most disturbing regular reports is women on Fortescue worksites being warned against washing their underwear in on-site laundries because theft of female underwear is rife.”

Yahoo News Australia

ABC Online

Apple closes first unionised US store as union alleges retaliation

Apple has closed its Towson, Maryland store, the first Apple Store in the US to unionise, citing declining conditions at the shopping mall where it was located. However, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has accused the company of retaliating against employees for unionising, alleging that workers at the unionised store were denied the straightforward transfer opportunities offered to staff at two non-union stores that also closed the same day. More than half of the Towson store's approximately 70 unionised employees are expected to lose their jobs, with Apple saying it is following the terms of the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2024, which provides up to 12 weeks' severance pay but does not guarantee transfers. The company has strongly denied any retaliation, insisting it is complying with the negotiated agreement.

New York Times

Korea's chipmaker employees are seen as top marriage material

The global AI boom has elevated the status of employees at South Korean chipmaking giants SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, making them highly sought after in the marriage market. "If SK Hynix and ⁠Samsung Electronics employees used to be classified as B+ or A-grade candidates, today they are closer to A+," observes Son Dong-gyu, the chief executive of matchmaking agency Bien Aller. "Traditionally, A+ candidates would include doctors, lawyers, other highly paid professionals or people from exceptionally wealthy families," Son said. The lucrative bonuses tied to the AI surge have transformed these employees into a new class of affluent individuals, in a shift that is also influencing educational choices, as more students pursue semiconductor engineering degrees.

France 24

U.S. News

OTHER

EU to escalate Meta probe into addictive design

The European Commission is set to escalate a probe into Meta Platforms that alleges the platform's social media offerings are designed to be addictive to ‌children. The EU’s executive branch is preparing to issue preliminary findings that accuse Meta’s Facebook and Instagram of using exploitative design techniques to keep young users hooked, according to people familiar with the matter. Regulators haven’t set a date for when the findings will be announced, the people said.

Bloomberg

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