Denmark
Background information on industrial relations in Denmark
- 19 Dec 2006
Denmark: Low level of membership by young people in unemployment insurance fundsA new study from September 2006 focuses on young people’s attitudes to the Danish unemployment insurance funds and, in particular, the reasons they state for not becoming members of such a fund. The study reveals wide variations in the attitudes of young people, but it also shows that many of them are not fully informed about the scope of the funds.
- 18 Dec 2006
Denmark: High stress levels among workers with childrenAlmost half of all Danish families with children find their working life stressful, while one in four families think the same about their family life. In particular, parents’ weekly working hours and working schedule have crucial implications for the way Danish families reconcile work and family life, according to a recent study by the Danish National Research Institute and the government’s Family and Working Life Commission.
- 30 Oct 2006
Denmark: Shift in power balance among trade union confederationsDanish trade unions have started to experience decreased levels of representation coverage, after enjoying increasing membership rates until the mid 1990s. However, the declining membership has primarily affected unions belonging to the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, which mainly represents blue-collar and white-collar workers. Unions representing professionals and clerical workers – as well as independent trade unions – report increased membership and density. If this trend continues, it may eventually change the power relations between the confederations.
- 30 Oct 2006
Denmark: Wage disputes in private sector reach record lowThe number of strikes arising from wage disputes in the private sector reached a historically low level in the second quarter of 2006. In spite of a booming economy and reports of continued bottlenecks in the Danish labour market, the number of wage disputes has not increased. Recent steps taken by the social partners may partly explain this development.
- 16 Oct 2006
Denmark: Wage increases moderate despite economic boomThe Danish economy is continuing to grow to such an extent that economists now fear that the economy will overheat. One of the most important elements to be affected in such a scenario is wages. In August 2006, tense discussions took place between economists and representatives of trade unions and employer organisations concerning their respective wage demands prior to the collective bargaining rounds, due to take place in the spring of 2007.
- 12 Oct 2006
Denmark: Role of employee representative in restructuring at LEGOSenior employee representative at LEGO, Berit Flindt Petersen, has to negotiate the best possible severance package for the 900 employees recently made redundant. Writing in the weekly union newsletter, Ms Flindt Petersen reports that she feels she has been offered more support and assistance from the company than from the representative trade union to cope with this responsibility and the mental strain involved. She calls for a higher degree of readiness on the part of trade unions in relation to restructuring processes and large-scale redundancies.
- 12 Oct 2006
Denmark: Flexible working time used to counter labour shortagesThe Danish labour market is currently experiencing a record low rate of unemployment combined with a shortage of labour, with the result that many companies have started to introduce flexible working hours, an option which has been provided for in several collective agreements. There is widespread take-up of a pilot scheme to conclude agreements at local level, within the framework of the collective agreement for the manufacturing sector, as companies try to manage their staffing requirements.
- 31 Jul 2006
Denmark: Supreme Court overturns order to reduce employee compensationIn 2004, the Minister for Employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, issued an administrative order that reduced employee compensation in cases where no statements of employment particulars had been issued or where they were not correct or adequate. However, a judgement delivered by the Danish Supreme Court in May 2006 ruled that the minister’s action was in violation of current legislation.
- 31 Jul 2006
Denmark: Fewer working days lost due to strikes in 2005Figures published by Statistics Denmark concerning strikes in 2005 show that 51,300 working days were lost due to work stoppages. This represents a 33% decrease in the number of working days lost compared with 2004, and is also the lowest figure since 1996. This more moderate strike activity seems to have continued into 2006.
- 25 Jul 2006
Denmark: Danish labour market model under pressureOn 27 April 2006, representatives of the social partners, politicians and industrial relations bodies came together with university researchers to discuss the Danish model of collective bargaining at a round table conference. The conference aimed to discuss the status of the Danish self-regulating model in the labour market, and its ability to survive in the face of pressure from the EU, government and company level.
- 11 Jul 2006
Denmark: Danish government prolongs East AgreementThe Danish government has informed the European Commission that the transition scheme covering workers from the new central and eastern European Member States – also called the East Agreement – has been extended, with some revisions, for a further three-year period. The revised agreement establishes smoother provisions regulating the entry of eastern European workers into the Danish labour market.
- 03 Jul 2006
Denmark: Trade union confederations sign new cooperation agreementIn April 2006, the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions and the Confederation of Salaried Employees and Civil Servants in Denmark signed a new cooperation agreement to replace the existing agreement dating from 1973. The agreement deals with, among other things, new rules concerning the resolution of border disputes and opens the way for extended political and industrial cooperation.
- 10 May 2006
Denmark: Unions disagree on financing of continuing trainingAfter a two-year assessment of the existing Danish adult and continuing training scheme, the government and the social partners issued a final declaration following a tripartite meeting in March 2006. The unions disagree on the extent to which the financing of part of the proposed efforts should be introduced in collective agreements.
- 21 Apr 2006
Denmark: Pressure on employers in wage negotiationsCollective bargaining at company level for spring 2006 began at the end of March in Denmark and the result is awaited with great interest. Unemployment levels are at their lowest in 30 years and economists, therefore, expect employees to demand a significant pay rise. However, new figures from the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI) reveal that Danish wage earners are the highest paid in the EU, and DI warns local employers not to agree to unsustainable increases. The trade union counterpart of DI, CO-industri, accuses DI of undue interference in local negotiations.
- 01 Mar 2006
Denmark: Tripartite committee issues report on continuing trainingIn February 2006, an official committee made up of representatives from ministries and social partner organisations published an extensive report on Denmark's current programmes and measures in the field of further and continuing training. The report contains a joint recommendation to expand the scope and coverage of adult and vocational training in the coming years, in particular in relation to vulnerable groups on the labour market.
- 14 Feb 2006
Denmark: Temporary agency workers to be treated as permanent staffIn January 2006 the Danish Labour Court ruled in two cases concerning the position of temporary agency workers in the relation to the user company and the temporary work agency. The judgement made it clear that temporary agency workers applied to companies in the occupational field of electricians must be treated on the same conditions as permanent staff.
- 08 Feb 2006
Denmark: Danish SAS pilots in wildcat strikeOn the 23 January 2006 Danish SAS pilots took industrial action in protest against plans concerning their employment status and working conditions forwarded by the SAS management thus causing several flight cancellations. They fear for both career and job if the management succeeds in splitting SAS pilots up into the national companies at the cost of the current employment directly under the SAS Group. The strike was ruled unlawful at the Labour Court in Stockholm.
- 31 Jan 2006
Denmark: ECHR rules against Danish closed-shop agreementsIt is a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights for a person to be compelled to be a member of a specific trade union in order to be employed in a Danish enterprise. This was the landmark ruling delivered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 11 January 2006 in a case concerning closed-shop agreements that had been brought by two employees against the Danish government. Danish trade unions have taken note of the judgment and will no longer enforce the contested closed-shop clauses, while the government will legislate to bring the law into line with the ruling.
- 11 Jan 2006
Denmark: Lidl signs new collective agreement in DenmarkLidl, the German discount supermarket chain with more than 6,000 stores in a number of European countries, concluded a collective agreement with Denmark's United Federation of Workers (3F) in January 2006. Lidl had already signed agreements with the HK/Commerce union in November 2004.