Denmark
Background information on industrial relations in Denmark
- 28 Dec 1997
Denmark: HK/Industri proposes a European collective industrial relations system<#PDF_LINK>In November 1997, HK/Industri, the industrial section of the Danish commercial and clerical employees' union, published proposals for a "European collective industrial relations system", which would include transnational agreements and an industrial tribunal.
- 28 Dec 1997
Denmark: Senior civil servants excluded from new salary system<#PDF_LINK>On 5 December 1997 the Crown Servants Court ruled that higher-ranking civil servants, covered by the Crown Servants Act, cannot take part in the forthcoming experiments with a new salary system.
- 28 Dec 1997
Denmark: Tripartite talks on the 1998 bargaining round<#PDF_LINK>On 17 December 1997, the Danish Government met the social partners to discuss the spring 1998 collective bargaining round, urging pay moderation to help create jobs.
- 28 Dec 1997
Denmark: Trade union penalised for undercutting collective agreement<#PDF_LINK>In late 1997, the Danish Labour Court ruled that a trade union must pay a substantial fine for breaching its own sectoral collective agreement. The restaurant workers' union, RBF, had signed a company deal which undercut the terms and conditions of the industry agreement.
- 28 Dec 1997
Denmark: 1997 Annual Review for Denmark<#PDF_LINK>This record reviews 1997's main developments in industrial relations in Denmark.
- 28 Nov 1997
Denmark: Supreme Court rules on bargaining rights in the public sector<#PDF_LINK>On 17 September 1997, the Danish Supreme Court ruled on which trade union should have bargaining rights over local pay for those employees in the public sector who are members of a organisation which does not have bargaining rights.
- 28 Nov 1997
Denmark: Penalising overtime in the Danish civil service: does it work?<#PDF_LINK>In 1997, overtime working in the Danish civil service has been subject to financial penalties and overtime payments have consequently declined. However, the question remains as to whether it has merely been transformed into more time off in lieu, unpaid overtime and permanent pay supplements.
- 28 Nov 1997
Denmark: LO members ready to take up home-based telework<#PDF_LINK>A recent survey shows that 90,000 members of the LO trade union confederation are currently performing home-based telework.
- 28 Oct 1997
Denmark: Do collective agreements ensure full coverage and compliance with EU Directives?<#PDF_LINK>Denmark continues to witness a debate on whether EU Directives should, or can, be implemented via collective agreements, or through legislation. New research findings on the "spill-over" effects of collective agreements into areas not directly covered by them throw some interesting light on the question. The survey examines overtime working and suggests that collective agreements ensure compensation and limit long-term use, but do not prevent the widespread existence of overtime.
- 28 Oct 1997
Denmark: Women's trade union fights for its independent status<#PDF_LINK>Although the KAD trade union is a constructive participant in the sector-oriented cartel structure of the LO confederation, it wishes to maintain its independent status as a trade union for women, and will seek to do so by ensuring closer cooperation with other unions. At KAD's September 1997 congress, a number of questions were raised, particularly relating to its struggle to retain its membership.
- 28 Oct 1997
Denmark: Danish Government convenes major international conference on social cohesion<#PDF_LINK>The Danish Government organised a major conference on social cohesion in October 1997, seeking to give an international focus to the increasingly important issue of the social responsibility of companies.
- 28 Oct 1997
Denmark: Early retirement is popular among trade union members<#PDF_LINK>A new survey of its membership by Denmark's FTF trade union confederation shows that early retirement is popular among trade union members and gives a pointer as to why this is so.
- 28 Oct 1997
Denmark: Contract clauses are modern versions of conscription<#PDF_LINK>The growing use by Danish employers of clauses in employment contracts, which prevent employees from using company-acquired knowledge or contacts in new jobs, is alarming the AC confederation of professional trade unions.
- 28 Sep 1997
Denmark: Pay restraints abroad harm Danish competitiveness<#PDF_LINK>Pay restraint in Germany and Sweden over 1996-7 have led to a decline in the competitiveness of Danish industry, according to figures recently issued by the Danish Employers' Confederation.
- 28 Sep 1997
Denmark: LO launches an intensive campaign on the Amsterdam Treaty<#PDF_LINK>The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) has begun a campaign to impart information in the run-up to the Danish referendum on the Amsterdam EU Treaty, which is likely to be held in spring 1998. The primary targets of the campaign are local shop stewards. The LO favours a positive campaign emphasising the opportunities offered by the Treaty, rather than a negative "scare" campaign.
- 28 Sep 1997
Denmark: Privatisation and contracting-out causes inter-union conflict<#PDF_LINK>The restructuring of the public sector inDenmarkhas affected the terms and conditions of employment for many employees as they switch from being covered by one collective agreement to another. This has caused much conflict between trade unions over organisational boundaries. This feature examines two current 1997 cases, and how the LO is attempting to mediate between the trade unions in dispute.
- 28 Sep 1997
Denmark: Privatisation of TeleDanmark creates fear of mass redundancies<#PDF_LINK>The forthcoming sale of the 51% state-owned share inTeleDanmark, confirmed by the Danish Government in September 1997, has sparked renewed fears of further redundancies.
- 28 Sep 1997
Denmark: Dansk Metal favours more flexible working time<#PDF_LINK>With a view to collective bargaining in 1998, the Danish National Union of Metalworkers (Dansk Metal) has approved the introduction of more flexible working time.
- 28 Aug 1997
Denmark: The Danish model under threat?<#PDF_LINK>Over summer and autumn 1997, the social partners in Denmark have been complaining over their lack of influence on government policies. This feature outlines the main characteristics of the so-called "Danish model" and examines how they might well be threatened by current developments in Danish industrial relations.
- 28 Aug 1997
Denmark: The EU Amsterdam Treaty well received by the Danish social partners<#PDF_LINK>The Danish social partners have expressed satisfaction with the new draft EU Treaty agreed in Amsterdam in June 1997.
- 28 Aug 1997
Denmark: Problems of implementing the newly amended Work Environment Act<#PDF_LINK>As a result of Denmark's newly amended Work Environment Act, adopted in May 1997, the requirement to have safety representatives will extend to many more workplaces. In less than a year, 18,000 smaller workplaces will have to appoint a safety representative for the first time, and the indications are that it will be difficult to recruit the numbers required.
- 28 Aug 1997
Denmark: Danish employees feel a higher level of job security<#PDF_LINK>According to the 1997 OECDEmployment Outlook, published in July 1997, Danish employees feel less job insecurity compared with their counterparts in other OECD countries.
- 28 Aug 1997
Denmark: Danish women are losing out in achieving top executive positions<#PDF_LINK>New figures from the Danish Prime Minister's Department show a decreasing representation of women on public committees and boards .
- 28 Jul 1997
Denmark: Food and agriculture employers' confederation celebrates 50th anniversary<#PDF_LINK>In 1997, theDanish Confederation of Employers' Associations in Agriculture(SALA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary as an independent employers' confederation.
- 28 Jul 1997
Denmark: Two union confederations sign historic agreement on organisational boundaries and cooperation<#PDF_LINK>TheDanish Confederation of Trade Unions(LO) andthe Danish Confederation of Professional Associations(AC) recently signed an agreement on demarcation to delineate organisational boundaries between the two confederations and to minimise competition for members.
- 28 Jul 1997
Denmark: Public sector faces prospect of implementing pay bargaining reform<#PDF_LINK>From the beginning of 1998, the social partners in Denmark's public sector must put pay bargaining reforms into practice. We examine a number of unanswered questions which have been raised in the run-up to implementation.
- 28 Jun 1997
Denmark: Revised framework agreement on participation in regional and local authorities<#PDF_LINK>A framework agreement has recently been negotiated in Denmark's regional and local government which is based on the recognition by the social partners that improved cooperation leads to improved regional and local services. The agreement makes it mandatory for local agreements to be drawn up providing for more cooperation between workers and employers, improved conditions of employment and an enhancement of the role of shop stewards.
- 28 Jun 1997
Denmark: Employers call on the Danish Government to alter the early retirement scheme<#PDF_LINK>The number of Danish employees taking early retirement has increased dramatically of late and has reached such a level that it has alarmed employers to the extent of urging the Government to take legislative action to stem the flow. The Social Democratic Government has refused to do so, arguing that it is the responsibility of companies themselves to formulate and implement policies on the retention and gradual withdrawal of older employees from the labour market. Discussions on this issue are continuing and are likely to come to a head at the forthcoming budgetary debate in autumn 1997 and might even become an issue at the next general election. This feature outlines the nature of the issue and considers the arguments that surround it.
- 28 Jun 1997
Denmark: Company-level bargaining in industry increases pay by 1.7%<#PDF_LINK>A new estimate from the Confederation of Danish Industries indicates that 1997's company-level bargaining in the industrial sector has led to average pay rises of 1.7%
- 28 Jun 1997
Denmark: Employers opt out of the Danish health and safety system<#PDF_LINK>As a reaction to the new Work Environment Act, which they view as "unacceptable centralism and bureaucracy", employers decided in June 1997 to "opt out" of Denmark's tripartite health and safety system
- 28 Jun 1997
Denmark: Danish Prime Minister addresses Global Labour Summit in Copenhagen<#PDF_LINK>The Danish Prime Minister opened the Global Labour Summit, held in Copenhagen in May-June 1997, by emphasising the need for trade unions to make full use of the new information technology.
- 28 May 1997
Denmark: The 1997 Danish collective bargaining round completed<#PDF_LINK>The 1997 collective bargaining round in Denmark was generally more concerned with structural and procedural matters than with substantive bargaining issues. In the public sector, collective bargaining resulted in the introduction of a new salary scale system, whereas in the private sector collective agreements were concluded of varying duration ranging from one to three years.
- 28 May 1997
Denmark: Disagreement on proposed new Danish Work Environment Act<#PDF_LINK>Denmark's social partners believe that their views have been ignored in the drawing up of the new Work Environment Act (debated in Parliament in May 1997). Employers have criticised the Minister of Labour for centralising the health and safety system and not taking account of the long-standing tradition of tripartite decision-making and implementation of the framework legislation.
- 28 Apr 1997
Denmark: Danish building and construction sites are hazardous workplaces<#PDF_LINK>According to a newly released report from theLabour Inspectorate, over the course of 1993-5 the building and construction sector experienced a 22% increase in industrial accidents. Although the parties recognise that many safety campaigns have had little or no effect, there is no agreement on the way ahead. This feature outlines the different arguments which have been advanced in the debate.
- 28 Apr 1997
Denmark: Social responsibility of companies tops the political agenda<#PDF_LINK>Over March and April 1997, the Danish Government has been putting pressure on the social partners to create jobs on special terms of employment, and has backed up this pressure with threats of legislative initiatives.
- 28 Apr 1997
Denmark: Trade union launches image and recruitment campaign<#PDF_LINK>The Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees in Denmark(HK) has launched a two-month nationwide campaign aimed at improving recruitment and visibility, and has initiated a further debate on objectives and to explain the utility value of membership.
- 28 Mar 1997
Denmark: Ministry of Labour launches vocational training campaign<#PDF_LINK>On 3 March 1997 the Ministry of Labour launched a nationwide vocational training campaign, aimed at increasing public awareness and encouraging more companies to formulate individual training plans for their employees. The campaign, with the slogan "Vocational training worth working on", will run until mid-June 1997 and will be carried out in close collaboration with 265 local vocational training centres and with the support of theDanish Employers' Confederation(DA) and theDanish Confederation of Trade Unions(LO).
- 28 Mar 1997
Denmark: 1996 saw the lowest number of unofficial strikes in the 1990s<#PDF_LINK>Last year, there was a 70% decrease in working days lost due to unofficial strikes in Denmark, according to the latest statistics from the DA employers' confederation.
- 28 Mar 1997
Denmark: Home-based telework on the increase<#PDF_LINK>In 10 years' time, up to 250,000 employees in Denmark may be involved in home-based telework, according to a new study conducted for the Ministry of Research and Information Technology.
- 28 Feb 1997
Denmark: Forthcoming mass redundancies at Tele Danmark: the Danish telecom sector in transformation<#PDF_LINK>Liberalisation, increased competition and the introduction of new technologies have forced the Danish telecom operator -Tele Danmark- to reduce its staff by 2,500 employees. Widespread strikes, involving some 7,000 employees, followed the announcement on 29 January 1997. Employees and trade unions have criticised the passive role of the state and the behaviour of Tele Danmark. After 15 days of conflict, Tele Danmark agreed to negotiate a retraining package for its employees, put forward by the telecom workers' union. The next negotiating meeting was due to take place on 12 March 1997.
- 28 Feb 1997
Denmark: Employers and unions disagree on the duration of new collective agreements<#PDF_LINK>In the context of the 1997 bargaining round, employers are in favour of three-year collective agreements but trade unions are arguing for the existing practice of two-year agreements to be continued
- 28 Feb 1997
Denmark: Two-year collective agreement for government employees<#PDF_LINK>An agreement for 225,000 government employees was the first to emerge in the current bargaining round. It introduces a new salary scale, by way of experimentation