Human Times

European Edition

25th November 2025

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THE HOT STORY

ABN Amro to axe 5,200 jobs

Dutch lender ABN Amro plans to reduce its workforce by 5,200 full-time positions by 2028 as part of a new financial strategy aimed at improving profitability. CEO Marguerite Bérard said: "I understand that changes to our cost base, especially reducing FTEs, bring uncertainty for our colleagues. We are fully committed to supporting everyone affected." The bank aims to achieve half of the cuts through attrition, with the remainder being layoffs. ABN Amro has already eliminated over 1,000 jobs this year.

NL Times

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LEGAL

UK minister suggests climbdown over workers' rights

UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle has hinted he may concede to amendments on Labour's Employment Rights Bill to make it less damaging to business during a speech at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual conference. He said concerns about the Bill, which provides day one protections, bans zero-hour contracts and alters statutory sick leave, were exaggerated, observing: "In the world we're living in now, the workplace is fundamentally different than it was 10 and 20 years ago. The law has to keep up, regulation has to keep up." Kyle added: "I'll do what it takes to get it through because I need to get on with the real business." He also said that he would hold a series of 26 consultations with companies after the Bill becomes law.

Women still earning 10.5% less per hour than men in the Netherlands

The gender wage gap in the Netherlands has decreased to 10.5% this year, down from 12% last year. Equal Pay Day - the day on which women symbolically stop getting paid for their work for the rest of the year - was observed this year on November 24, ten days later than in 2022. Experts attribute the reduction primarily to a rise in the minimum wage rather than a decrease in discrimination. A new EU directive will require companies to disclose pay differences starting in 2027.

NL Times

DutchNews.nl

WORKFORCE

Some Irish employers are 'trying to avoid pension auto-enrolment'

Ireland's Department of Social Protection has said that some employers are attempting to bypass the new pension auto-enrolment system, "My Future Fund," which launches on 1 January. The scheme aims to assist over 800,000 workers in saving for retirement. Employees aged 23 to 60 earning over €20,000 will be automatically enrolled. Contributions will start at 1.5% and rise to 6% over ten years. In a letter to Owen Reidy, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the department's Secretary General said that "We . . . understand that payments into these pension scheme consist solely of an employer contribution of about 1% of salary . . . Such a low contribution level is less than 30% of the initial contributions payable under the My Future Fund scheme and less than 10% of those that will ultimately be payable under that scheme . . . It is, essentially, a nominal contribution that is unlikely to yield any material pension benefit."

RTE.ie

Swatch workers in Türkiye continue strike

Workers at 15 Swatch stores in Türkiye are continuing their strike action, demanding better pay and working conditions. The strike, which began on November 10, follows failed negotiations between the union and management. Approximately 100 workers are participating, seeking a 30% wage increase, bonus payments, and shorter hours. Eyup Alemdar, chief of the Koop-Iş labour union, highlighted the impact of inflation on workers, which reached nearly 33% year-on-year in October. The Swatch Group has responded, stating: "The union's demands are unfortunately unrealistically high and totally exaggerated."

Daily Sabah

Car parts chief warns of job losses from ‘Darwinian’ competition in Europe

Christophe Périllat, the CEO of French car parts maker Valeo, warns that most job losses at the company will be in Europe unless Brussels protects the sector from Chinese competition.

Financial Times

ECONOMY

Brexit costs UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue

Brexit is costing the UK up to £90bn annually in lost tax revenues, according to new analysis from the House of Commons Library. The average Briton is now £2,700 to £3,700 worse off. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, whose party commissioned the analysis, has urged ministers to negotiate a new customs union with the EU, to "fix our broken relationship with Europe." Sir Nick Harvey, chief executive of European Movement UK, said the analysis "shows just how much economic harm leaving the EU has wreaked on us both nationally and individually. Billions lost in tax every year, and all of us several thousand pounds poorer."

The Independent

CYBERSECURITY

AI layoffs drive technology workers to dark web jobs

A study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reveals a significant rise in résumés posted on underground forums, doubling in early 2024 compared to the previous year. The trend reflects a growing shadow job market that is absorbing unemployed and overqualified individuals amid AI-fuelled layoffs. Alexandra Fedosimova, a digital footprint analyst at Kaspersky, observed: "The shadow job market is no longer peripheral; it's absorbing the unemployed." The report highlights that résumés now outnumber vacancies by 55% to 45%, with many applicants willing to take any job, including illegal roles. Kaspersky urges monitoring of online activity to guide youth towards legitimate tech careers.

Khaleej Times Online

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Bank of England warns on micro-aggressions

The Bank of England has warned that micro-aggressions in the workplace can lead to serious health issues for ethnic minorities, including heart disease and diabetes. A presentation obtained by The Telegraph highlights research linking racism and discrimination to chronic illnesses. The training materials encourage employees to report micro-aggressions, such as inappropriate comments about race. A Bank spokesman said: "This optional training . . . is one of several ways we look to support our staff." The initiative aims to foster an inclusive work environment and address reported disparities in treatment.

The Sunday Telegraph

INTERNATIONAL

Workers sue over restrictions on second jobs

In Washington state, workers are challenging moonlighting bans imposed by employers which restrict their ability to take on additional jobs, especially with competitors. Recent lawsuits have been filed against major companies including Amazon, Alaska Airlines, and Costco, arguing that such restrictions limit economic mobility for low-wage workers. A recent ruling by the state Supreme Court deemed blanket bans on moonlighting unreasonable, allowing lower-wage workers to seek multiple jobs without fear of losing income. However, many employers still enforce these bans, leading to ongoing legal disputes. Attorney Timothy Emery observed: “Anyone making minimum wage in Washington's largest cities knows that without a second job, it's virtually impossible to make rent and pay rising food costs.”

OregonLive.com

Korea cracks down on labour violations at worksites employing foreign nationals

Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labour identified significant labour rights violations during inspections of 182 high-risk workplaces employing foreign workers. A total of 846 violations were identified, including wage theft amounting to 1.7bn won ($1.16m) at 123 businesses. Officials noted that some employers exploited workers' noncitizen status, denying them equal benefits. Labour Minister Kim Young-hoon said: "There cannot be any distinction between Korean and foreign workers when it comes to protecting basic labour rights." The ministry said it plans to enhance monitoring and improve conditions for foreign workers.

Korea Joongang Daily

The Korea Times

OTHER

Counting on fingers helps maths skills develop

A study by researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland has revealed that while a previous study had found that a third of teachers of children aged around six believed that counting on fingers is "a sign that a child is struggling to understand numerical concepts," in fact children who use their fingers to work out maths problems aged four to six develop better addition skills by the age of seven than those who do not. Lead researcher Catherine Thevenot said the findings have "important implications as it shows that there is no reason to discourage children in school from using their fingers to solve arithmetic problems."

The Times

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