A-Infos (en) Mass strike in Denmark

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MASS STRIKE IN DENMARK
Some 400,000 Danish workers launched an
indefinite strike yesterday (27 April).

ICEM UPDATE  No. 35/1998  -28 April 1998

The following is from the International
Federation of Chemical, Energy,
Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM):


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]."

KAD updates on the dispute (in Danish) are
available on the Web at
http://www.kad.dk/OK98/index.htm

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