The trade union representatives and collaboration over three decades
FAOS is conducting a major survey of union representatives' work and conditions in Denmark. The purpose is mainly to shed light on the cooperation between management, union representatives and employees in private and public workplaces.
FAOS is conducting a major survey of union representatives' work and conditions in Denmark. The main purpose is to shed light on the cooperation between management, union representatives and employees in private and public workplaces. FAOS conducted similar surveys in 1998 and 2010, and as such the new survey provides an unique opportunity to shed light on cooperation, negotiations and relations between union representatives, management and employees over three decades.
Approximately 38,000 union representatives will receive the survey – both union representatives and health and safety representatives. The representatives are affiliated to the largest union confederation in Denmark, Danish Trade Union Confederation (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation). The confederation consist of 64 unions, representing some 1.3 million workers within private as well as the public sector. The survey will look at union representatives' cooperation with management, support from colleagues and the relationship to non-members as well as so-called ‘yellow’ unions. However, not only the union representatives’ voices are heard; surveys are also sent to managers and the rank-and-file employees at workplace level. As such, a 360-degree analysis of cooperation, trust and relationships at work place level will be obtained.
One of the strongest elements of the survey is the possibility of assessing whether the cooperation between management, union representatives and colleagues has changed over time. The decentralization of the Danish model (actually centralized decentralization) entail that still more issues are up for negotiations at local level, and with data from three decades, it will be possible to ascertain to what degree union representatives as well as management is up to the job and can use the possibilities provided in the still more flexible central collective agreements.
The project has received a total grant of DKK 7,936,800 (1,1 million euros) – 267,000 Euros are dedicated to FAOS’ project design, analyses and project management.