Danish trade unions: an introduction

What does a Danish trade union do?

A Danish trade union, fagforening, represents employees within a particular profession or industry. It negotiates pay and working conditions on behalf of its members, recruits and trains union representatives, tillidsrepræsentanter, and can advise and support you if you have problems at work.

Fagforeninger play an important role in the Danish labour market. By negotiating collective agreements, overenskomster, they help set standards for pay and working conditions across industries and professions.

They may also be part of larger trade union federations or organisations.

How can a trade union help you?

If you are a member of a fagforening, you can get advice and support if you have a dispute with your employer. Without the support of a fagforening, you may need to handle the dispute yourself or seek legal advice at your own expense.

A fagforening can also advise you if you are new to the Danish labour market. As a member, you may also have access to annual salary statistics for your profession.

Membership fees for a fagforening are tax-deductible in your Danish tax assessment notice, årsopgørelsen.

Traditional and “yellow” trade unions

In Denmark, there are traditional (red) trade unions and so-called “yellow” trade unions, gule fagforeninger. A yellow trade union typically organises employees and self-employed people across different professions and industries and is not affiliated with a trade union confederation.

The main differences are:

• Traditional trade unions negotiate collective agreements on behalf of their members.
  
  
• Yellow trade unions generally do not negotiate collective agreements with employers. This means that they usually do not have a direct role in setting pay and working conditions through the collective bargaining system.
  
  
• Traditional trade unions are generally organised according to profession or industry and may be affiliated with a trade union confederation.

Choose the right trade union 

Fagforeninger are often organised according to profession or industry. When choosing one, check which fagforening represents your profession or industry and compare the support and membership conditions they offer.

If you live in Sweden and work in Denmark, check whether the fagforening can continue to help you with a dispute related to your Danish employment after you have stopped working in Denmark. This can be particularly important if a dispute arises or continues after you return to the Swedish labour market.

You can also ask your Swedish trade union whether it offers guest membership of a corresponding Danish fagforening.

A Swedish trade union cannot represent you in matters that arise on the Danish labour market.