Portugal
Social concertation put to the test: labor law reform and the rise of the far right
Raquel REGO
This article examines the proposed labour legislation reform, ‘Trabalho XXI’, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in July 2025. This led to a general strike involving both Portuguese trade union confederations on 11 December. In a context where the main economic and labour market indicators appear generally favourable, the relevance of such a strongly liberal reform is questioned here. Against this backdrop of the rapid rise of the far right, the reform takes on broader political significance. The reform reveals a logic of social dialogue that is primarily aimed at conferring political legitimacy on the government, rather than achieving a social pact that would be implemented in future with the participation of social partners.
Keywords : Portugal, labor market reform, social concertation, far right.
Switzerland
Platforms, salaried employment and home economics: the unfinished regulation of home cleaning
Hélène WIDMANN
This article analyses the limitations of gig working regulation centered around a change of status to that of salaried employee. From case studies of cleaning work platforms in Switzerland, it shows that this status does not necessarily guarantee improved employment terms. The article advocates an approach not exclusively based on men, looking closely at the peculiarities of paid household work and different platform types.
Keywords: Switzerland, platform, cleaning, salaried work, employment terms, economic model.
Austria
Guns, jobs and trade union silence: Austria and the prospect of rearmament
Kevin GUILLAS-CAVAN
Despite its population’s fondness for neutrality, part of the national identity, Austria is rearming. In prioritizing NATO integration and European defence, the country is breaking with its tradition of mediation. This rearmament, funded by social and climate austerity, is reviving the debate around the meaning of neutrality. Yet trade unions continue to keep a low profile on the issue, torn between pacifism and the protection of industrial jobs at a time of economic fragility.
Keywords: Austria, neutrality, rearmament, NATO, European Union, trade unions.
United States
The extreme hardening of immigration policy
Catherine SAUVIAT
Donald Trump ushered in his second term by implementing a highly repressive immigration policy. He has set his administration the goal of deporting one million immigrants each year, providing an unprecedented budget with which to do so. While the hunt for undocumented migrants in « sanctuary » cities has enjoyed ample media coverage, this policy affects a much greater number of legal immigrants. It is, however, slowed down by the judiciary and resisted by civil society (trade unions, all sorts of associations, activists, churches, etc.), which has inspired the Democrats to attempt to block extra funding for the two agencies charged with enforcing immigration laws.
Keywords: United States, immigration, ICE, CBP, DHS, sanctuary cities, trade unions.