Trade union proposes social shop stewards

The Danish Metalworkers Union proposes employees to elect so-called social shop stewards at the workplaces that can help employees back in the transition to work after long-term absence. The employees’ confederation, LO, and the employers’ conderation, DA, both supports the initiative as long as the tasks is keept within the existing shop-steward system.

According to a press release issued 24. August 2005 by the Danish Metalworkers Union (Dansk Metal) it has become more and more difficult for employees to return to the workplace after long-term absence due to sickness, a personal crisis or an on-the-job injury. The union Therefore proposes the introduction of a 'social shop steward' whose task is to help the colleague back in the routines of his or hers particular job and deal with possible phycological blockings. The supportive measures begin during the period of absence, where the social shop steward will pay visits after some time of absence to the absent colleague.

'We have an obvious interest in supporting our members in returning to work as complete human beings. It is well known that it becomes more end more difficult to return after several weeks of absence. Therefore we will perform an active absence policy according to which the social shop steward will visit a sick colleague after two, four and eight weeks of absence', says organisation secretary in Dansk Metal, Mr Valther Andersen.

Since it is not the intension to control the colleagues, there is no duty to report back to the line manager or others in the company. Besides supporting the colleague the aim is to help 'reduce the working days lost due to sickness absence, which at national level cost DKK 32 billion (EUR 4,5 billion) a year', Mr Andersen adds.

The social shop steward is to be elected by the employees, and it should be voluntary for the absent person to accept support or to be left alone.

The social shop steward is an innovation in industrial relations. Dansk Metal has negotiated the final guidelines with the train manufacturer in Randers, Bombardier, which is the first company to introduce the arrangement permanently.

Both the Confederation of Danish Employers (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening, DA) and the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO) support the initiative. As long as the social responsibility will be part of the role of the 'normal' shop steward in the company, DA thinks it is a good idea. 'The shop steward system functions very well as it is and there is no need to introduce a third person', says DA consultant Mr Svend Peter Nyborg. He also points out that the proposal is a good alternative to the existing rules, by which the municipal social authorities first contact the absent person after eight weeks. LO by and large agrees. 'Whether the shop steward is to go off site to visit absent employees depends on a mutual agreement that the issue is part of the staff policy', says LO secretary in the Co-operation Board (Samarbejdsnævnet), Ms Maj Schønning.

If the introduced social responsibility will be carried out by the existing shop steward, it is just another of many new roles that the shop steward has been assigned over the last decade (DK9811191F); (DK9811192F); (DK9810190N).

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