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Denmark

Background information on industrial relations in Denmark

• 19 Dec 2007
  Denmark: Impact of the working time directive on collective bargaining in the road transport sector — Denmark

  The WT directive for road transport was incorporated in Danish legislation in 2005. The sector, however, is already covered by collective agreements, which cover 85% of the employees. The WT directive was implemented in the collective agreements in 2004. The provisions of the incoporated law on working time in the transport sector only cover employees not covered by a collective agreement.

• 14 Nov 2007
  Denmark: Industrial relations in the postal sector — Denmark

  This is the Danish contribution to the comparative anaytical overview on Industrial relations in the postal sector

• 22 Oct 2007
  Denmark: Overall increase in strike activity over past year

  The yearly statistics on work stoppages, which have been compiled by Statistics Denmark, reveal that 85,800 working days were lost due to strike action in 2006. This represents an increase of 67% in strike activity compared with 2005. Overall, the proportion of working days lost in the public sector is significantly higher than that in private industry sectors.

• 01 Oct 2007
  Denmark: Representativeness of the social partners: Agricultural sector – Denmark

  The aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the agriculture sector in Denmark. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as their role in collective bargaining.

• 03 Sep 2007
  Denmark: Merger results in new union for public sector employees

  In June 2007, an important merger took place between two trade union cartels in the public sector. The decision of the Association of Danish State Employees’ Organisations and the Danish Confederation of Municipal Employees to join forces has resulted in a new large joint organisation for public sector employees. The new organisation has been named the Organisation of Public Employees in Denmark.

• 16 Jul 2007
  Denmark: Migrant workers included in latest round of collective agreements

  For the first time ever, Denmark’s collective agreements in the private sector contain explicit provisions for migrant workers. The main objective of the 2007 collective agreements in this respect is to ensure better social security, particularly in the areas of housing, pensions and pay during vacation, for the rising number of migrant workers in Denmark. These measures also help to prevent wage dumping.

• 09 Jul 2007
  Denmark: Report on families and working life triggers mixed response

  The Family and Working Life Commission, an independent government-appointed body with a mandate to look into the challenges that workers face in achieving a work–life balance, published its report in May 2007. The report includes 31 recommendations on how to gain a better balance between work and family life. Reactions from politicians and social partners have been mixed, and to date neither the government nor the social partners have proposed any specific initiatives based on the recommendations.

• 18 Jun 2007
  Denmark: Increase in working time and employment levels in 2006

  A recent survey by the Economic Council of the Labour Movement reveals that both working time and employment have increased in Denmark. In 2006, all employed people worked, on average, 20 minutes longer each week, compared with 2005. From 2005 to 2006, the total actual working time rose by 2.6% due to employment growth of 1.9% and an average increase of 0.7% in the number of working hours per employed person. The council concludes that labour market flexibility is increasing.

• 13 Jun 2007
  Denmark: Industrial relations developments 2006 — Denmark

  This annual review, compiled in December 2006, looks at industrial relations developments in Denmark during the course of 2006.

• 04 Jun 2007
  Denmark: Social partners sign new three-year agreement in manufacturing

  At the end of February 2007, the social partners signed the new three-year collective agreement for the manufacturing industry following extensive negotiations. The agreement contains improvements concerning company-level bargaining, training and gender equality. Compared with the previous sectoral agreements, this new industry agreement contains a deviation clause for company-level agreements.

• 22 May 2007
  Denmark: New industry agreement marked by innovatory elements

  The first new collective agreement for 2007 was signed in Denmark at the end of February. The renewal of the agreement contains four significant changes in relation to: continuing training, strengthening of decentralised bargaining, ‘free-choice’ accounts and gender equality.

• 18 May 2007
  Denmark: Gender and career development — Denmark

  This comparative study examines the issue of gender and career development and explores the continuing barriers to achieving equality of opportunity in this area in Denmark.

• 18 May 2007
  Denmark: Representativeness of the social partners: Telecommunications sector - Denmark

  The privatisation of the telecommunication sector in Denmark did not change much regarding representativeness of the organisations. Shortly before the fully privatisation Danish Telecom, now TDC, joined the largest employers' association in Denmark, Confederations of Danish Industries, DI, which continued collective bargaining with the traditional unions present in the sector. No problems of recognition arose in this connection. No tripartite bodies are formally involved in the social dialogue.

• 14 May 2007
  Denmark: New job creation initiative proves successful

  Denmark’s current employment situation is highly favourable, with almost full employment in the spring of 2007. The country’s high employment rate can partly be attributed to a new job creation initiative aimed at securing employment for redundant workers. One group of workers who have already benefited from such an initiative consists of the 1,500 abattoir workers who were made redundant during 2006, after the abattoir group Danish Crown closed its plants in Odense and Grindsted.

• 02 Apr 2007
  Denmark: Union to set up complaints board as part of good practice rules

  The trade union for employees working in financial services, Finansforbundet, has drawn up a set of rules pertaining to good governance for trade unions. Inspired by the philosophy of good company management as part of the concept of corporate governance, Finansforbundet has translated its own terms of good management into the notion of union governance. Among other elements, the trade union has introduced a complaints board where dissatisfied members can have their case reviewed by an impartial lawyer. Moreover, the union aims to ensure greater accountability and a wider representation of membership interests.

• 08 Mar 2007
  Denmark: Agreement on integration of immigrants includes job package plan

  In December 2006, the government, the Danish municipalities and regions, and the social partners presented an agreement on integration, aimed at increasing employment levels among immigrants and their families. The new agreement is a revision of an earlier agreement; among the latest initiatives is the introduction of a ‘job package’.

• 08 Mar 2007
  Denmark: Orderlies go on strike at National University Hospital

  On 5 January 2007, 300 hospital orderlies at the National University Hospital in Copenhagen went on strike on the grounds that they are obliged to work under a different collective agreement following implementation of the structural reform on 1 January.

• 08 Mar 2007
  Denmark: Low representation of women on company boards

  Denmark currently has one of Europe’s highest female employment rates and Danish women are among those countries with the highest educational qualifications in Europe. However, this relative success is not reflected in the number of female managers and representatives on company boards. According to recent statistics from Eurostat and the Nordic Council, this represents an area in which Denmark lags behind most European countries. The Danish gender pay gap is also relatively high, despite the country’s highly qualified female workforce.

• 19 Feb 2007
  Denmark: President of union confederation calls for moderate wage increase demand

  With the collective bargaining rounds of 2007 properly under way, the President of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Hans Jensen, publicly announced that an annual wage increase of 4% would be a reasonable outcome for employees. Such a significant and unequivocal statement after the start of the negotiations is extraordinary. Given that trade union representatives rather than LO are actually conducting the negotiations, some chairpersons of member unions consider the announcement to be undue interference in the bargaining process.

• 12 Feb 2007
  Denmark: Precarious situation of temporary agency workers

  At present, the temporary agency work sector is expanding considerably in Denmark. In 2005, earnings in this sector increased by 35%. The present shortage of labour in the Danish labour market has contributed to the success of temporary work agencies in recent years and employers are very satisfied with the flexibility involved in recruiting a temporary agency worker. However, according to a research paper published in October 2006 by the Employment Relations Research Centre, the legal status of temporary agency workers in relation to a number of working conditions is still precarious.

• 12 Feb 2007
  Denmark: New employer organisation favours more company-level agreements

  At a joint general meeting on 22 November 2006, the Danish Commerce and Services employer organisation and the Danish Chamber of Commerce, a business interest association in services, agreed to merge to form Dansk Erhverv, a new joint employer and business association in the Danish labour market. This new organisation aims to become a major competitor to the currently dominant Danish employer organisation, the Confederation of Danish Industries. Moreover, it aims to put more emphasis on company-level agreements concerning pay, pensions and working time rather than on collective framework agreements.

• 29 Jan 2007
  Denmark: Social partners work on initiatives to reduce work-related stress

  In recent months, articles on work-related stress have been appearing almost every day in the press. The articles are often based on recent research findings revealing that a large group of Danish workers suffer from high stress levels caused by heavy workloads and high work pressure. The social partners and research institutions have been trying to respond to the problems caused by work-related stress by funding research projects and instigating new initiatives and programmes to target stress at work, as well as regulating work-related stress through collective agreements.

• 29 Jan 2007
  Denmark: Economic boom triggers high employee expectations in bargaining round

  The economic upswing complicates the 2007 collective bargaining rounds in the private sector of the labour market as employees have high expectations of generous pay increases, among other improvements in terms of working conditions. Nevertheless, it seems likely that a compromise agreement will be reached, as in previous years. Experience indicates that large-scale conflict will not be a serious threat until the next round – negotiations at local level.