SHARE
COPY LINK

WORKING IN DENMARK

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 

The Danish parliament has agreed a 1.3 billion kroner spending plan that is designed to tackle social dumping and other problem areas at workplaces.

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 
Danish politicians present a major spending plan to improve work environments, including measures against social dumping. Photo: Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The deal, termed a “working environment agreement” (arbejdsmiljøaftale), specifies social dumping as a major area of focus.

“This is an agreement of historic level. I am happy that everyone is part of it,” employment minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen said following the conclusion of negotiations on Thursday.

Social dumping is the practice by which foreign workers are used to circumvent Danish collective bargaining agreements, saving employers money by hiring staff on wages and working conditions inferior to those set by the Danish labour model.

READ ALSO: ‘One in two’ tax inspections found social dumping at Danish companies

Some 673 million kroner of the total 1.3 billion are earmarked for prevention of social dumping.

“This is an anti social dumping effort that acts against labour crime and cheating the system. So that people who actually play by the rules get fair competition,” Halsboe-Jørgensen said.

Other elements of the spending will aim to address industrial accidents and mental health at workplaces.

“Work should not make you sick. Neither physically or mentally.  That’s why we’re also proud that we’re tackling psychological working environments,” Socialist People’s Party (SF) representative Astrid Carøe said.

The money provided by the deal will be spent over a four-year period from 2024 until 2027.

The signatory parties describe it as a “historically large grant” to the agency Arbejdstilsynet, which is responsible for ensuring acceptable working environments.

Increased inspection frequencies, introduced in a prior 2019 agreement, continue under the new deal.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

WORKING IN DENMARK

Finance minister hints at payrises in Danish care sectors

Denmark’s Minister of Finance Nicolai Wammen has hinted that more professions than the four care sectors currently slated for wage increases could be given a payrise in upcoming negotiations.

Finance minister hints at payrises in Danish care sectors

The government has stated it wants to give higher wages to public employees who work in the social care (SOSU in Danish), child care (pædagoger), nursing and prison officer sectors.

The so-called lønløft or payrise for these groups is a stated aim of the government in upcoming tripartite talks (termed trepartsforhandlinger in Danish) between the government, employers and trade unions.

Additional sectors could also be recipients of the 3 billion kroner the government wants to spend boosting wages, Wammen said on Wednesday.

“We want to make an extra effort [for the sectors explicitly named],” he said ahead of initial meetings ahead of the negotiations.

“But we are not saying with this that other groups can’t come in, but this is our starting point,” he said.

Labour market representatives of both employees and employers – in other words, trade unions and employer confederations – can both push for changes to the government proposal during the tripartite talks.

“We are now setting up for negotiations. We’ll know how the final model is going to look once we’ve reached an agreement,” Wammen said.

The proposal for higher wages in the four areas was announced by the government earlier this week, with one of its stated goals being to attract more staff to address shortages.

The proposed payrises could amount to 2,500 kroner per month for people working in the sectors, provided they meet with the government’s demands related to conditions such as working hours.

SHOW COMMENTS