Denmark
Key Facts
| Population | 5,573,894 |
|---|---|
| Collective Bargaining Coverage | 80% |
| Proportion of Employees in Unions | 67% |
| Principal Level of Collective Bargaining |
industry – but much left to company negotiations |
| Workplace Representation |
union |
| Board-level Representation |
yes: state-owned and private companies |
| Company Board Structure |
dualistic |
Sources: see individual country sections; where a range of figures has been quoted, the lower number has been taken
Trade Unions
Union density is high in Denmark, at around two-thirds of the workforce, although it has fallen in recent years. Most union members are in unions associated with the main confederations, the new FH (the result of a merger at the start of 2019) and Akademikerne, which are organised on occupational and educational lines. However, there are also trade unionists outside the two main confederations.
more ...Collective Bargaining
note2
Bargaining at national level provides a framework for much of the Danish industrial relations system. Pay and conditions are negotiated between unions or “cartels” of unions and the employers at industry level, but complementary negotiations at company level are becoming increasingly important. Overall 83% of employees are covered by collective bargaining.
more ...Workplace Representation
Unions are central to workplace representation in Denmark. Local union representatives take up employees’ concerns with management and are often also members of the main information and consultation body – the cooperation committee.
more ...Board-level Representation
Employee representation at board level starts in companies with 35 employees and these representatives have one third of the seats.
more ...European-level Representation
The cooperation committee chooses most employee representatives for European level bodies. The one exception relates to board level representatives in a European Company – they must be elected by the workforce.
more ...Health and Safety Representation
All health and safety representation in Denmark is through joint employer/employee bodies. In larger companies, there is a two-tier structure, with the higher body dealing with strategic issues and the lower body with issues on a day-to-day basis. However, in companies with fewer than 35 employees a single body deals with both. The lower level body can interrupt work if it considers that there is an imminent and substantial threat to health and safety.
more ...Financial Participation
The issue of employee financial participation has bee debated in Denmark since the 1960s. Participation schemes in Denmark are widespread in comparison with other European countries.
more ...