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12 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 35/1998
Some 400,000 Danish workers launched an indefinite strike yesterday (27 April).
The action comes after union members voted to reject a mediated bargaining settlement covering a wide range of Danish industries. Prominent among the unions involved are affiliates of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The dispute concerns unions within CO-industri. This is an umbrella grouping which covers most of Denmark's industrial workers. Every other year, CO-industri bargains at the national level with the federation representing Denmark's private industry employers.
Affected by the conflict are more than 200,000 workers in manufacturing and process industries, and a similar number in the transport and building sectors. The strike follows rejection of the official mediators' proposal by a majority of union members in a postal ballot. The proposal had included a new collective agreement.
Overall, 56 percent of those voting rejected the proposal. Within the ICEM-affiliated general workers' union SiD, the "no" votes reached 62.3 percent. Workers involved also include 52,000 members of the ICEM-affiliated women workers' union KAD.
Two main points are at issue in the strike.
First of all, the collective bargaining process this spring has been particularly difficult. At one point, the employers brought the negotiations almost to a standstill with their demand that a new agreement should not increase company costs in any way. But the Danish economy is booming and companies are posting excellent results. So the employers' stance obviously caused particular resentment among union members.
Secondly, union members' clear wish for more time off was not adequately met by the agreement proposed.
The Danish unions have declared their willingness to re-enter negotiations with the employers, but up to now this offer has been rejected.
The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for the European Union. Denmark, an EU member, is due to vote next month in a referendum on the Amsterdam treaty, which governs the next phase of European integration. Prolonged industrial action and lock-outs would disrupt preparations for the treaty vote and could limit the availability of print media in the run-up to the referendum.
The strike is expected to continue for at least two weeks. Employers are also likely to extend the disruption through a lockout involving the distributive and commercial sectors as well.
"The members have spoken, and have spoken clearly," commented SiD President Poul Erik Skov Christensen. The "no" vote on the mediators' proposal was, he said, "caused mainly by the employers' tactical games. The employers centralised the collective negotiations to an unprecedented degree, and our members reacted against that."
"Now that we are going into a dispute," he pointed out, "it's good that such a big proportion of the membership took part in the vote and that the outcome was so clear. So we are now going to make sure that the dispute is conducted as effectively as possible. We are well prepared, both financially and organisationally."
Any resolution of the conflict would depend on "the employers' seizing the opportunity," Skov Christensen said. "At the same time, I strongly warn the politicians against meddling in the dispute, which is a matter between the labour market partners [unions and employers]."
The action comes after union members voted to reject a mediated bargaining settlement covering a wide range of Danish industries. Prominent among the unions involved are affiliates of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
The dispute concerns unions within CO-industri. This is an umbrella grouping which covers most of Denmark's industrial workers. Every other year, CO-industri bargains at the national level with the federation representing Denmark's private industry employers.
Affected by the conflict are more than 200,000 workers in manufacturing and process industries, and a similar number in the transport and building sectors. The strike follows rejection of the official mediators' proposal by a majority of union members in a postal ballot. The proposal had included a new collective agreement.
Overall, 56 percent of those voting rejected the proposal. Within the ICEM-affiliated general workers' union SiD, the "no" votes reached 62.3 percent. Workers involved also include 52,000 members of the ICEM-affiliated women workers' union KAD.
Two main points are at issue in the strike.
First of all, the collective bargaining process this spring has been particularly difficult. At one point, the employers brought the negotiations almost to a standstill with their demand that a new agreement should not increase company costs in any way. But the Danish economy is booming and companies are posting excellent results. So the employers' stance obviously caused particular resentment among union members.
Secondly, union members' clear wish for more time off was not adequately met by the agreement proposed.
The Danish unions have declared their willingness to re-enter negotiations with the employers, but up to now this offer has been rejected.
The dispute comes at a sensitive moment for the European Union. Denmark, an EU member, is due to vote next month in a referendum on the Amsterdam treaty, which governs the next phase of European integration. Prolonged industrial action and lock-outs would disrupt preparations for the treaty vote and could limit the availability of print media in the run-up to the referendum.
The strike is expected to continue for at least two weeks. Employers are also likely to extend the disruption through a lockout involving the distributive and commercial sectors as well.
"The members have spoken, and have spoken clearly," commented SiD President Poul Erik Skov Christensen. The "no" vote on the mediators' proposal was, he said, "caused mainly by the employers' tactical games. The employers centralised the collective negotiations to an unprecedented degree, and our members reacted against that."
"Now that we are going into a dispute," he pointed out, "it's good that such a big proportion of the membership took part in the vote and that the outcome was so clear. So we are now going to make sure that the dispute is conducted as effectively as possible. We are well prepared, both financially and organisationally."
Any resolution of the conflict would depend on "the employers' seizing the opportunity," Skov Christensen said. "At the same time, I strongly warn the politicians against meddling in the dispute, which is a matter between the labour market partners [unions and employers]."