Working in Denmark

Many questions may arise if you are a foreign employee in Denmark.

At this web page you can read about the Danish labour market and your rights as an employee in Denmark.

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The Danish Labour Market

In Denmark most employees are organised in trade unions, and the employers are organised in employers' organisations.

The Folketing - the Danish Parliament - passes relatively few national laws for the labour market, because the employers and the trade unions agree on most of the rules in force on the labour market.

At regular intervals, the trade unions and the employers conclude collective agreements on salary and working conditions. Most collective agreements are nationwide and as such apply to many companies within a certain sector. In the collective agreements also rules for bonus for evening and night work, pension, salary in case of sickness, possibilities of training, and much more are laid down.

Employees have the right to at least five weeks' holiday each year paid by the employers. Employers also have a duty to secure proper breaks, and that the work can be done in a safe way, for example by providing safety equipment for the employees. And the company has the duty of informing the employees about health and safety regulations and safety directions in a language which they understand.

In almost all companies the members of the trade union elect a shop steward who will help you to get what you have the right to get.

In companies with at least ten employees it is statutory that a health and safety group is set up in each department. The safety group works for a safe and healthy working environment. The safety group consists of the supervisor of the department and a health and safety representative elected by the employees. In companies with at least twenty employees also a health and safety committee has to be set up which takes care of questions of overriding importance to the employees' health and safety. In companies with nine employees or less, the health and safety work is done by the company owner and the employees jointly.

The shop steward and the trade union can help you with practical questions about salary, working conditions, taxes, pension, training, and much more. And if the employer does not respect the collective agreement, the trade union can take the employer to court and try to secure you for instance salary.

Why Should I Be a Member of NNF?

The trade union NNF secures good working conditions and a good salary for all our members.

At NNF we do not distinguish between nationalities. NNF will fight for your and your colleagues' rights irrespective of your native country.

Being a foreign colleague you may have problems in understanding Danish. When you join the NNF, the trade union will help you look through contracts and documents so that you are not cheated.

Should you, unluckily, have an industrial accident, then part of NNF's service to our members is to see to it that they get the compensation and help which they are entitled to get.

Unfortunately, we have seen examples where foreign colleagues have been treated badly by Danish employers. If you are employed with an employer who does not live up to the salary promised or in other ways treats you badly then NNF can take up the case for consideration and try to secure you a proper compensation.

The Trade Union NNF

NNF organises skilled and unskilled employees within slaughtering and meat industry, bakeries, dairies, chocolate and sweets, and tobacco industry.

NNF has about 20.000 members in both large and small companies and is a member of the Danish employees' federation, FH.

NNF's most important task is to secure our members a good salary and safe working conditions.

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