The FPAA Repeal Bill repealed the Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs) legislation, was introduced into Parliament on 29 March 2022 and received Royal Assent on 1 November 2022.
On 22 December 2023, member states’ failed to find a majority over the platform work directive deal negotiated with the European Commission and the European Parliament.
The negotiation for an agreement on the directive on platform work will continue under the Belgian Presidency as of 1 January 2024.
On 14 December 2023, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament agreed on a text for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
It requires formal approval by the Legal Affairs Committee and the European Parliament as a whole, as well as by the Council (EU governments) to enter into force.
It aims to enhance the protection of the environment and human rights in the EU and globally.
The Commission proposal was introduced on 23 February 2022, and the Council adopted its general approach on 1 December 2022.
Last year, the House of Representatives Member Susana Prieto presented a Bill to constitutionally amend working hours from 48 to 40 hours a week.
In November 2023, members of the Board of the Chamber of Deputies made a series of recommendations and changes to the Bill that returned to the Constitutional Points Committee.
On 15 December, the Mexican Congress closed its final ordinary session for 2023. The Bill will be discussed when the next ordinary session opens in February 2024.
On 30 November 2023, Eurofound published a new research report on the right to disconnect.
The report is based on a survey of employees and HR managers in Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. It examines how the right to disconnect is implemented at the company level.
On 24 November 2023, presidents and chief executives of the member federations of BusinessEurope met in Brussels to present their priorities for the next Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
On 8 December 2023, the Council presidency and the European Parliament's negotiators reached a provisional agreement on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act.
The Act aims to ensure that AI systems in the EU respect fundamental rights and values, while stimulating innovation and investment in AI in Europe.
Both Parliament and Council must formally adopt the agreed text for it to become EU law.
The AI Act should apply two years after it enters into force.
As we reported last May, British Colombia adopted the Pay Transparency Act, which addresses systemic discrimination in the workplace and aims to reduce pay gaps affecting women, people of colour, people with disabilities, and non-binary people.
According to the Act, employers can no longer ask job applicants about what they were paid in previous positions.
From 1 November 2023, all employers in British Columbia must include pay ranges in job postings, prepare reports identifying systemic pay discrimination, and disclose pay information to employees and applicants upon request.
The Pay Transparency Regulation (BC Reg 225/2023) was released on 23 October 2023 and is now in force. It provides details on the mandatory contents of the remuneration transparency reports.