Sunday 1 February 2004 CO-industri and our employers, Dansk Industri, signed a collective agreement for 220.000 workers in Danish industry.
The main elements of the agreement, which will be followed by annual enterprise level agreements on wage increases are:
- The duration of the agreement is 3 years.
- The payments for pensions are increased as follows:
Blue Collar |
Employers contribution |
Workers Contribution |
1. July 2005 |
0,6 % |
0,3 % |
1. July 2006 |
0,6 % |
0,3 % |
White Collar |
Employers contribution |
Workers Contribution |
1. July 2005 |
0,6 % |
0,3 % |
1. July 2006 |
0,6 % |
0,3 % |
1. July 2006 |
0,6 % |
0,3 % |
This means that the white-collar groups will catch up with the percentage of the blue-collar ones. The difference until now has historical reasons.
Payment for public holidays is increased per 1 January 2005 from a total of 3.5% of pay to a total of 4.0 % - and in the future 24. December is included in this payment.
Payment during parental leave is increased per 1. July 2004 from 14 to 20 weeks. The last 6 weeks a maximum of 125 Dkr/hour (approx €16.50). This payment for the last 6 weeks is available for men as well as for women.
From 1. July 2004 full pay during 4 weeks of pregnancy leave is introduced (last 4 weeks of pregnancy)
Payment of full pay during sickness is prolonged per 1. July 2004 from 5 weeks to 9 weeks.
From 1. July 2004 one week full pay is introduced for parents, whose children are hospitalized so that they may be in hospital with their children.
For dismissed workers with more than 3 years seniority, the employer pays two weeks further training.
The minimum pay, which today is 88.40 Dkr /hour (approx €11,80) is increased with 2.25 Dkr/hr (approx € 0,30) per year, 1 march 2004, 2005, 2006
Allowances for shift work, night work etc. is regulated with an average of 3% per year.
Payment of apprentices is increased with an average of 4.5% per year
Special clauses are introduced on varied weekly working time
No changes in the maximum period of variation
Where today the majority of workers in a group had to accept varied weekly working time and it applied to the whole group, a system can now be introduced on a voluntary basis, provided the Shop Steward approves.
The experimental scheme, introduced in the agreement in 2000, which made it possible to deviate from the agreement primarily on working time has been changed to allow such a scheme to go ahead on the basis of local agreements between the shop-steward and the enterprise. It is no longer necessary to acquire approval of the organisations. This possibility exists only where there is a shop-steward. This clause expires with the expiration of the agreement and will have to be specifically renewed in 2007 if we want to continue it.
A special effort will be made to ensure that the obligation for peace is respected.
In cases where unrest emerges in a company, both parties are obliged to ensure that a meeting local meeting is called within 1 day, and a meeting between the organisations is called within 5 days in order to try to resolve the problem.
In cases of strike against the obligation to peace, the present procedure will be put into force within the first 24 hours of strike rather than currently 48 hours.
In case of strikes against the obligation to peace, the employers possibility to ask overtime without extra overtime payment to catch up with lost production is extended from 8 to 14 days after the end of the strike.
If the legislation concerning unemployment benefit in cases of interim or partial lay-offs is changed, or if legislation is introduced concerning the costs of employers in connection with parental leave, including legislation about a central parental leave fund the parties will meet to find a solution. If this is not possible the agreement stays open on the respective issue.
The estimated cost of this national agreement is just below 1.0% per year.
It is important to note, that this agreement will be supplemented with enterprise level wage-negotiations. In the Danish system, these negotiations take place every year. The precise result cannot be predicted, as the situation of every company plays a role.
The agreement will be in force after it has been approved by a ballot. This will take place once all agreements in the private sector has been closed. This should happen around 1 March.
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