IWIS Conference

PARIS, 25-27 June 2007

Status for : Denmark

Country environment• Country laws:

So-called “Flexicurity” = (1) easy hiring/firing, 2) unemployment insurance and 3) education/guidance

• In practice, it mainly means it is easy to lay off (3-6 months notice or 1 month thefirst 5 months in the job for salaried employees like for instance IT-professionels), but for other workers, there are almost no notice by law. Most collective agreements however have a short notice.

• Unemployment insurance: About 2,000 euros/month as unemployed if you are a member of a so-called Unemployment Insurance Fund (connected to the unions). If not, you will get a smaller amount from the government.

• Parental leave for both sexes: 52 weeks all in all(in IBM Denmark, this includes homosexual couples since 2006)

• Freedom of speech: Yes, full freedom of speech. However if you criticize your employer, you can get into trouble with keeping your job. For example Claus B. Juul from IBM who got fired...

• Health protection: Free public health service. However, many also have private health insurances because of long periods of waiting for treatment.

• Retirement: 65 years – going up to 67 in 2027. Optionally you can retire at 60/62, but with a lower pension outcome. Public pension is ca. 20.000 euros/year – so you have to have a private pension too.

• Work time: 37 hours. Five weeks of holiday each year secured by law. Most collective agreements include 1 extra week of holiday. Non-working days per year: Around 9 days (excluding weekends). Within the IT sector many are working overtime, however, even without extra payment. OBS The collective agreement with IBM SDC-DK says 36 hours working week and 12 non-working days/year(excluding weekends).

Company environment• Country-wide agreements with trade unions (for each sector of activity):

Yes. But many IT companies are without any collective agreements.• Enterprise-wide agreements with trade unions: There are numerous

collective agreements with companies on a national plane (60-70%)..• Are negotiations really productive? Yes, within certain limits (strength of

bargaining position, government intervention etc.)• Are laws really applied? Yes, in general they are quickly applied – also

EU directives.• Are there any trade unions regulations: Yes.

The law: Being a member of a certain union or other organization can not get you fired. Not being a member of a certain union could bar you from certain jobs, however, until 2006.

The law also guarantees the right to choose a “security representative”.Collective agreements: Normally they include protection of elected representatives.

Company environment

If there is not a Collective agreement, you have the right to elect a representative anyway, if at least 35 employees according to a EU Council Directive. The representative will be protected against getting fired in the same way as if there are a collective agreement

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