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Denmark

Background information on industrial relations in Denmark

• 24 Apr 2012
  Denmark: Denmark: Employment and Industrial Relations in the Hotels and Restaurants

  Traditionally the sector is characterised by many micro and small companies. These are seldom member of an employers’ association. As for the rest of the sector it is significant that the number of large businesses seem to increase on the expense of small family-owned businesses. The organisation density is much higher among large companies and they cover around 70% of all employees in the sector. On the union side hotels and restaurants has traditionally been a sector with low union density, which also should be seen in the light of the significant use of seasonal and part time workers.

• 05 Apr 2012
  Denmark: Denmark: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the insurance sector

  The Danish Insurance sector has been affected by the financial crisis, but it has not been hit as hard as the rest of the financial sector. Traditionally, coverage of collective agreements, as well as organisation density, for both employees and employer organsations in the financial sector (including insurance) are among the highest in Denmark. There is only one employer organisation, the Danish Employers’ Association for the Financial Sector (FA) and only one employee organisation, the National Insurance Workers’ Association (DFL), therefore only one collective agreement covers the whole sector.

• 27 Mar 2012
  Denmark: Denmark: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the paper sector

  The paper sector has become less important in the Danish economy over the last decade due to production being transferred abroad. There are three representative organisations in the sector, two of which are trade unions. The three organisations have one joint collective agreement covering employees in the packaging industry.

• 07 Mar 2012
  Denmark: Denmark: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the sea fisheries sector

  The sea fisheries sector in Denmark is very small. To put this in perspective, the sector employs 2,088 people, while the total national employment figure is 2,626,846. With respect to collective bargaining the sector is characterised by two parties only; one trade union (3F) and one employer organisation (Danmarks Fiskeriforening). Both parties recognise each other’s representativeness.

• 03 Feb 2012
  Denmark: Limited options expected in new bargaining round

  In early January 2012, the social partners in manufacturing, CO-industri and DI, began a new round of collective bargaining to renew the 2010 two-year agreement. It was decided in 2010 that the agreement should cover two years only, as by 2012 the repercussions of the economic crisis might have eased off and a new round of bargaining could take place at the start of an upswing. However, this has not been the case and negotiations in 2012 will again be influenced by the crisis.

• 20 Jan 2012
  Denmark: Retirement reform will make 25,000 unemployed

  The Danish government is planning to reform the retirement system, leading eventually to a reduction in its scope, narrowing the age range in which employees can take early retirement and raising the general retirement age. The justification for this reform is to increase the size of the Danish workforce to counteract demographic predictions of a shortage of employees in years to come. A recent report, however, suggests that the reform will cause new unemployment.