Jørgensen, Carsten

Outsourcing, or contracting-out, of tasks to private enterprises has been expanding rapidly among local authorities and this development will gain increasing momentum, according to a new study [1] carried out by the municipal sector employers' organisation, the National Association of Local Authorities (Kommunernes Landsforening, KL) concerning the scope of tendering and outsourcing activities in local authorities. The report was published in June 2000. [1] http://www.kl.dk/kl.net?sidenr=208196

At an extraordinary meeting of delegates on 28 May 2000, the Railways Association (Jernbaneforeningen) decided to merge with HK/Stat, the state employees' sector organisation within the Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees (Handels- og Kontorfunktionærernes Forbund, HK). This merger - which was the result of more than one year's negotiations - comes into effect on 1 June 2000. From that date, the members of the Railroad Association - together with the present members of HK/Stat in the state transport sector - are members of the new sectoral unit attached to HK/Stat. The merger also comprises the Staff Union in Air Transport (Luftfartsvæsenets Personaleforbund) which itself merged with the Railroad Association on 1 May 2000. The new sectoral unit will be called the Sectoral Unit Traffic and Railroads (Brancheafdelingen Trafik og Jernbane) and will have just over 5,000 members (both public servants and salaried employees) working in enterprises, board and agencies in the traffic sector.

On 23 February 2000, an industrial arbitration tribunal held that the Danish passenger shipping line Danish Seaways (DFDS) was entitled to conduct unannounced urine tests on crew members to detect any use of intoxicants. The action was brought by the Danish Association of Maritime Catering Establishments (Dansk Sø-Restaurations Forening, DSRF) and the Danish Confederation of the Catering Trade (RestaurationsBranchens Forbund, RBF) against Danish Seaways, as the two trade unions felt that the shipping company's regulations on participation in tests for alcohol, drugs and other intoxicants had been issued unjustly. This was a test case, as there was no previous ruling on whether an employer may order employees to participate in such unannounced tests.

The traditional picture of strikes involving large numbers of manual workers is being challenged at present in Denmark by a tendency for strikes by individual highly-qualified workers, or small groups of them. It seems that individual pay negotiations are preparing the way for individual strikes. At the beginning of April 2000, four members of the academic staff in the National Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) had been striking for three months, while two employees of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Miljøstyrelsen) took strike action throughout the winter of 1998/9, and a single employee in the county administration of Northern Jutland went on strike for nearly six months in 1999.

During the 2000 collective bargaining round - which was the most peaceful in modern history - the general impression was that if a dispute were to break out, it would be in the transport sector, which faced the most difficult negotiations over a four-year deal (DK0002167F [1]) An agreement was, nevertheless, reached, but immediately after the Public Conciliator had published his final compromise text for the entire bargaining round, bus drivers in all parts of Denmark went on strike unlawfully - in protest against the General Workers' Union (Specialarbejderforbundet i Danmark, SiD). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/2000-bargaining-round-completed-peacefully

Negotiations over a new collective agreement for the industry sector, which is taking the lead in Denmark's 2000 bargaining round (DK0001161N [1]), started formally between the Confederation of Danish Industries (Dansk Industri, DI) and the Central Organisation of Industrial Employees in Denmark (Centralorganisationen af industriansatte, CO-industri) on 4 January 2000. The talks had been eagerly anticipated, with the dominant question being whether the negotiations would result in a deadlock, as was the case in the last bargaining round in 1998 (DK9805168F [2]). The central organisations - the Danish Employers' Confederation (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening, DA) and the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO) - were waiting on the sidelines in case anything went wrong. The negotiations took place secretly, with journalists excluded, and the expectations and possible outcomes were repeatedly discussed. In late January, the social partners suddenly emerged from the negotiating room - nearly three weeks before the deadline when negotiations would have been transferred to the public conciliation service - and declared that they had concluded a historic agreement. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/more-time-off-and-occupational-pensions-are-main-themes-in-bargaining [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-industrial-relations/parliament-intervenes-to-end-major-conflict

The spring 2000 Danish collective bargaining round (DK9912160F [1]) is proceeding quietly at present. More time off for workers and regulation of occupational pensions are the main issues, and the subject of pay increases has not yet been broached. Except for the minority of "standard-wage" bargaining units, such as transport, where sectoral agreements set actual pay and there are no decentralised wage negotiations, all the other bargaining units will enter a round of decentralised pay bargaining after the conclusion of the sectoral agreements. Even though sectoral bargaining in these "minimum-wage" areas will give an idea of the role that pay will play in the local agreements, there are no guarantees. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/spectre-of-1998-dispute-looms-over-new-bargaining-round

During the 2000 collective bargaining round - which was the most peaceful in modern history - the general impression was that if a dispute were to break out, it would be in the transport sector, which faced the most difficult negotiations over a four-year deal (DK0002167F [1]) An agreement was, nevertheless, reached, but immediately after the Public Conciliator had published his final compromise text for the entire bargaining round, bus drivers in all parts of Denmark went on strike unlawfully - in protest against the General Workers' Union (Specialarbejderforbundet i Danmark, SiD). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/2000-bargaining-round-completed-peacefully

On 28 November 1999, the 2000 Danish collective bargaining round formally began. At a marathon meeting, the Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees/Commerce (Handel- og Kontorfunktionærernes Forbund/Handel, HK/Handel) and the Danish Commerce and Service (Dansk Handel og Service, DH&S) employers' organisation opened bargaining over a new agreement covering 40,000 shop assistants. HK had prepared for swift negotiations, with an agreement before Christmas, but the employers were in no hurry. Within a day, it was evident that DH&S had no intentions of expediting a bargaining outcome, though the president of HK/Handel, Jørgen Hoppe, is still hoping for an early result. The parties were due to meet again shortly before Christmas, and Mr Hoppe believed that a result might be possible in early January 2000, when the decision-making bargaining committee meets.

The Danish economy grew moderately in 1999, despite forecasts of a significant slowdown. Total GDP growth was 2.7% in 1999, higher than the 2.4% achieved in 1998 and above original estimates of 1.7% growth in 1999.