Denmark

While municipal and regional council workers in the FOA have voted in ballots to accept the improved three-year pay deal, the strike by nurses continues. Municipal workers accepted a 13.4% deal (up on the 12.8% employers had offered) that included a commitment to a commission to look at the issue of pay inequality. The nurses remain determined to secure a higher increase over the three years, demanding a 15% rise. Read more at > Copenhagen Post (EN)

Members of the FOA union, covering health, eldercare and childcare workers employed by the municipalities, are being balloted over a revised pay offer after three weeks on strike. While the general municipal settlement provides for a 12.8% pay increase over three years, workers represented by FOA will get 13.4%. The result of the ballot will be known on 29 May. A central element of the dispute was the issue of the undervaluing of occupations dominated by women workers. The strike by members of the DNO nurses’ association continues.

Some 23,000 health and social workers - mainly those working in hospitals, elder care and childcare - began strike action on 16 April in support of their claim for higher pay. A further 13,000 workers are set to join the strike on 28 April unless the trade unions receive an indication from the municipal employers that they will re-open negotiations. The unions involved are the DNO nurses’ association and the FOA federation that covers a wide range of municipal employees, although they have different claims. The municipal employers have offered a 12.8% salary increase over three years and the DNO is looking for an increase of 15%. The FOA has not specified a higher increase. Instead it wants a commitment from the government to establish a commission on equal pay that will consider a major injection of funds to tackle the pay gap. The FOA argues that the salaries of these health and social care jobs were set many years ago when there were far fewer women in the labour market. They now need to be substantially revalued and FOA is calling for “male” wages for “female” jobs. The union believes that the government needs to get involved in the issue in order to provide a substantial level of funding - anything from €600-€700 million. Read more at > the FOA strike website (DK) The Copenhagen Post is an English-language website that includes news updates on the strike but it is not always accurate about the trade union position. Read more at > Copenhagen Post (EN)

State sector trade union members are currently being balloted over a new three-year agreement worth 12.8%. The major part (8.17%.) will be spent on general wage increases while 2.2% has been set aside as “pool funding” for other improvements. In addition to this, the regulator mechanism (which ensures a parallel wage development between the public and private sector) and local wage developments will account for 2.23% of the increase. A new element is compensation to state employees for the growth in fringe/staff benefits in the private sector. This is set at 0.2% and means that the wage difference between the state sector and the private sector has been narrowed by 0.2% on a permanent basis. The general pay increase thus amounts to 8.37% over the next 3 years (the 8.17%. in general wage increases plus the 0.2%. compensation for fringe/staff benefits). The agreed wage increases guarantee a real wage development each year. Overall this is the largest wage hike n the state sector in 20 years (since 1987).

The three-yearly negotiations over collective agreements in the state sector were concluded at the end of February with a 12.8% increase over the next three years. The actual increases may vary as pay rises in the state sector are linked with pay increases in the private sector. The agreement also includes an extra paid day off to look after sick children. A more detailed report on the new agreement will be circulated to EPSU collective bargaining contacts shortly. Read more at > LO (EN)

The LO trade union confederation has negotiated a new agreement with government that includes a number of provisions covering the training of public service workers. Workers will be entitled to free admission to and guaranteed places at social and health care colleges. There will also be more possibilities for elementary training and the possibility for 15,000 more employees to receive paid training as skilled workers. In addition, around DKK 450m (€60m) will be set aside for continuing training in the coming collective bargaining period. Read more at > LO (EN)

Our collective bargaining contact at the DONG Energy company reports that shortly after a negotiated national settlement for the members of Denmark’s largest union 3F was agreed, the local negotiations at DONG energy ran into difficulties. In a period with extremely low unemployment and with profits, director and board wages all rising to previously unseen levels, the largely unskilled members with 3F demanded their share of the cake. A three-day wildcat strike underlined the workers frustrations. Shortly afterwards a local agreement was reached, which was worth €177 euros a month to 3F’s members. The average wage of 3F’s members in DONG energy production is €4.000 a month. The local settlement is judged to be worth around 5.6 %. The settlement is renegotiable every year. Svend Erik Jensen, national officer for 3F’s industrial branch, pointed out that 3F does not condone the use of wildcat strikes. “But, high company profits, low unemployment and high director wages was not convivial with a message of wage restraint to our shop stewards from DONG` s company directors!” DONG energy is the largest player on the Danish home energy market.

LO, the Danish trade union confederation, has launched a new website to provide information to help trade unionists ensure that migrant workers get the pay, conditions and other rights to which they are entitled. The website will include information on how Danish unions are fighting against illegal work and for the extension of collective agreements. It also highlights how Danish unions are working with trade union organisations in Central and Eastern Europe. Read more at > LO

A report was published in February looking at agreements on training which found that collective agreements in the public sector tend to have general training provisions but don’t establish any specific individual right to continuing or further training. In contrast, according to the report, private sector agreements are in some respects more detailed, often setting out timeframes for the right to continuous training and that certain seniority requirements apply to this right. One of the report’s recommendations is that training should be targeted more at those with basic or little education as opposed to the current situation where the better educated tend to take more advantage of training opportunities. Read more at > EIRO

A survey of members of the FTF salaried employees and civil service union found a near doubling of the percentage of workers facing violence at work. The situation was particularly bad for those working in social services with 46% reporting violent incidents and health (25%). Although the worst affected sector was not surprisingly the police force (53%). Read more at > EWCO

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