*SMLR-Net, the source of selected news on labor and employment relations and human resource management *

Title: Rajoy Drives Spanish Revolution With Low-Cost Manufacture * *Date: Dec. 19, 2012

*Source: *Bloomberg News Authors: Angeline Benoit, Manuel Baigorri & Emma Ross-Thomas

*Summary: * As labor costs fall and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoyhttp://topics.bloomberg.com/mariano-rajoy/’s legislation makes it easier for companies to cut wages and reorganize staff, carmakers including Ford Motor Co. (F)http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/F:US, Renault SA (RNO) http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/RNO:FP and Peugeot are boosting production in Spain. Rajoy says the increase in investment and rising exports will translate into jobs as he battles an unemployment rate of 26 percent http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/UMRTEMU:IND, the highest in Europe http://topics.bloomberg.com/europe/. Link: http://bloom.bg/V8LtQA

*AND……………………………*

* * Title: In Greece, When Everything Grinds to a Halt, Nobody Is Surprised Date: Dec. 20, 2012 Source: Wall Street Journal Authors: PHILIP PANGALOShttp://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=PHILIP+PANGALOS&bylinesearch=trueand ALKMAN GRANITSAShttp://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=ALKMAN+GRANITSAS&bylinesearch=true

*Summary:* “In November alone, there were labor actions by, among others, taxi and bus drivers, subway, train, tram and power-company workers, bank tellers, teachers, journalists, doctors and nurses, judges and prosecutors, engineers and garbage men. "Every morning when you wake up, you check the weather, you switch on the news and you see what strikes are happening that day," said Yannis Ifantis, a 42-year-old travel agent in the capital. "It's one of the absurdities of life in Greece." Link: http://on.wsj.com/VTOh0T