Today’s newsletter covers remote work in Italy, Canada’s automotive industry, Nigeria’s political retaliations to COVID-19 travel bans, and more.
Remote work in Italy: agreement on ‘smart working’ protocol beyond Covid-19
Italian trade unions and employers’ federations agreed with the Italian government with one of the first frameworks on remote work in Europe. Remote work allows for flexible working hours but isn’t compatible with overtime pay. Employees have the right to disconnect and switch off communication tools during their time off. One cannot be disciplined or fired for not adopting remote work. Companies usually provide work equipment and are still responsible for the employee’s safety.
Canada stands up for its auto industry against U.S. electric vehicle tax credits
In its Build Back Better Act, the United States plans to give up to US$12,000 of tax credits to U.S. consumers if they buy an electric vehicle produced on American soil. For Canada, U.S. protectionism puts its automotive industry at risk and breaches their free trade agreement.
Nigeria doesn’t want COVID-19 travel restrictions left unanswered
When countries ban travel from Nigeria because of COVID-19, the authorities try to replicate with their own travel bans. As they plan on banning travel from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia or Argentina, Nigerian officials recently removed restrictions from the United Arab Emirates. But relations between both countries haven’t become smooth either.
Somewhere else in the world…
- The government of Dubai announced it has become the world’s first paperless government.
- Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, will stop offering its services in Singapore by February 2022 as it withdrew a license request from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
- In the Czech Republic, the price of electricity may increase by 30 to 50% and gas by 50 to 70% next year according to the Minister of Industry and Trade. One of the temporary measures proposed is to lift the VAT tax.
