There’s a rumor that David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is going to propose exemptions from the working time and agency workers directives – two pieces of legislation that protect worker rights in the UK. British trade unions just informed all 27 member states of the EU that if Cameron is successful, they will push for Britain to remove itself from the EU. 
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is putting former Australian Workers Union head and current Labor Leader Bill Shorten in the spotlight to answer some questions concerning a supposed sweetheart deal wherein companies traded bulk union membership dues for employer-friendly pay and condition agreements. The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption has also heard rumor that members of a local sports union were secretly signed up as AWU members. Mr. Shorten will appear before the Royal Commission on July 8. 
A New York Times article reported earlier this month that Germany has lost over 350,000 work days in 2015 due to strikes – more than double the amount seen in 2014. The primary cause is a current labor dispute between trade union Verdi and the VKA federation of local employers over increasing childcare worker pay by 10% and changing their job description to reflect the higher level of qualifications that are now required. Working parents have been effected the most, having to alternate days off work to care for the children.
