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Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation

FH

Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation is Denmark's main trade union confederation representing workers' interests on employment, working conditions, and social policy.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner)

12 Dec 2025 · European competitiveness and housing

Meeting with Villy Søvndal (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Dec 2025 · Discussion about workers' rights

Meeting with Villy Søvndal (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2025 · Discussion about workers' rights

Meeting with Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Oct 2025 · EU labour policy

Danish unions demand mandatory labor clauses in state aid rules

6 Oct 2025
Topic — The EU is revising rules allowing member states to grant aid without prior approval.
Message — FH requests that GBER include mandatory labor clauses and social conditionalities linked to collective bargaining. They seek explicit requirements for apprenticeships to ensure public funds support fair working conditions.12
Why — This safeguards Danish wage-subsidy models and ensures public investments prioritize socially responsible employers.34
Impact — Firms practicing social dumping or ignoring labor laws would face exclusion and financial penalties.56
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Danish Trade Unions Demand 28th Regime Exclude Labour Law

30 Sept 2025
Topic — A consultation on creating a harmonized EU legal framework for cross-border company operations.
Message — FH strongly opposes any 28th regime that includes labour law or bypasses collective agreements. They demand the Commission safeguard worker rights and maintain national labour market models. Any new framework must prioritize stable workplaces and avoid creating unnecessary regulatory layers.12
Why — Excluding labour law protects the union's ability to negotiate and maintain national workplace standards.3
Impact — Local companies lose if competitors use a parallel regime to avoid national employment standards.4
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Meeting with Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Sept 2025 · Meeting with FH

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

19 Sept 2025 · Fair Mobility, andre udviklinger i EU's beskæftigelsespolitik

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Sept 2025 · Frokost med FH

Response to Review of the State aid rules on the Services of General Economic Interest (“SGEI”)

29 Jul 2025

The Danish Trade Union Confederation (FH) appreciates the possibility to give a hearing on State aid - revision of the rules on services of general economic interest. The Danish Trade Union Confederation (FH) welcomes the general direction of a revision of the rules to grant better access to affordable housing in the EU. When it comes to the construction, as well as production-parts, of said affordable housing, FH recommends that the importance of social conditionalitiessuch as labor and social clauses for undertakings receiving supportshould be made explicit to ensure that public funds contribute to fair working conditions and social progress. We hereby refer to our hearing on the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework per the 28th of March 2025. This hearing will be attached and we urge you to read the points therein. These recommendations are essential, not only for quality jobs, but also for quality housing even if affordable. In Denmark, we unfortunately have a lot of experience with state funded projects (and private projects) going awry due to contractors being chosen purely on the principle of lowest-price. While it may sound like a good idea to produce housing as cheaply and as quickly as possible (with all that this may entail), this can never be recommended. The projects we have experience with have gone awry in many ways. In public-owned projects alone, we have lately had enormous issues with our super-hospitals, our metro and our new railways. As for specific projects, that have garnered much attention by going awry: - Niels Bohr Building 7 years delayed, and ended up costing 3 billion DKK more than was in the budget (+ 150%). - Aalborg University Hospital Probable delay of 6 years and will cost approximately 1.4 billion DKK more than was in the budget. - Copenhagen Metro City Ring 9 months delay (only), but also cost 4 billion DKK more than was in the budget (21 billion DKK). - DR Concert House 2 years delay and ended up costing 1.6 billion DKK, where the budget was 600 million. - Njals Tårn (Njalsgade) Project was entirely stopped close to completion due to bad quality (reused concrete of poor quality to save money) as well as due to fraud and forgery from the construction company. There should be 265 apartments, but none are now useable due to the safety risks. The FH therefore urges the Commission to remember, that while affordable is good, it always has a risk of going awry, if the proper safeguards and quality checks are not made into necessary requirements for the project. FH therefore recommends the Commission to ensure that only proper quality actors, ensuring both quality work and quality jobs, are awarded state aid, as per our hearing on the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework, which is attached. If someone is willing to save money by underpaying their workers, they will also be willing to save money on materials, and most likely will not be the type to make a deadline. This is what our experience tells us. We appreciate the opportunity to provide input and look forward to continued dialogue on shaping a fair and effective state aid framework.
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Meeting with Lara Wolters (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

2 Jun 2025 · Omnibus

Meeting with Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Member of the European Parliament)

27 May 2025 · EU labor policy

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament) and Confederation of Danish Employers

26 May 2025 · EMPL-udvalgsmission til Danmark

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

21 May 2025 · Mediebilledet i Bruxelles

Meeting with Villy Søvndal (Member of the European Parliament)

21 May 2025 · Matters regarding employment policy

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

15 May 2025 · Det danske EU-formandskab, EMPL sager

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Mar 2025 · Danske EU-formandskab, kommende sager

Meeting with Maria Luís Albuquerque (Commissioner) and

25 Mar 2025 · Exchange on supplementary pensions and regulatory developments

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament) and Fagligt Fælles Forbund

6 Mar 2025 · Webinar on: Quality jobs - the future of the European labour market

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

6 Mar 2025 · public procurement

Danish trade unions demand mandatory labor clauses in procurement

3 Mar 2025
Topic — Evaluation of EU directives governing public procurement and concession contract awards.
Message — The organization demands that public contracts prioritize fair working conditions over the lowest price. They call for mandatory labor clauses, respect for collective agreements, and limits on subcontracting chains to prevent social dumping.123
Why — This would prevent foreign firms from undercutting local wage standards and protect the Danish labor model.45
Impact — Low-cost contractors and companies violating labor rights would be excluded from bidding for public contracts.67
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Meeting with Stine Bosse (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jan 2025 · Labor market policy

Meeting with Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Jan 2025 · Labour rights and EU industry policy

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament) and Confederation of Danish Employers

5 Dec 2024 · Arbejdsmarkedsbriefing

Meeting with Johan Danielsson (Member of the European Parliament) and Brussels Office of the Swedish Trade Unions and Finnish trade union representation to the EU

14 Nov 2024 · Nordiska fackliga frågor i EU-kontext

Meeting with Adnan Dibrani (Member of the European Parliament) and Brussels Office of the Swedish Trade Unions and Finnish trade union representation to the EU

14 Nov 2024 · Nordiska fackliga frågor i EU-kontext

Meeting with Sofie Eriksson (Member of the European Parliament) and Brussels Office of the Swedish Trade Unions and Finnish trade union representation to the EU

14 Nov 2024 · Nordiska fackliga frågor i EU-kontext

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Asbestos

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · Working Conditions

Meeting with Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · Morning briefing on 3F & FH priorities

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Sept 2024 · Public Procurement

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Jan 2024 · Mindsteløn

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Dec 2023 · Mindsteløn

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament) and Fagligt Fælles Forbund

21 Sept 2023 · Kaffemøde med danske assistenter

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Sept 2023 · Arbejdsmiljø og social dumping

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Sept 2023 · Mindsteløn

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Aug 2023 · Mindsteløn

Danish unions urge social conditions for green industry subsidies

27 Jun 2023
Topic — The European Commission's proposal for a regulation regarding a Net-Zero Industry Act.
Message — The confederation requests linking the green transition with stronger social ambitions and fair wages. They propose including social conditionalities, such as linking decent working conditions with tax credits. They also want social clauses in public procurement to ensure compliance with sustainability criteria.123
Why — This ensures that green investments result in higher-quality employment and organized terms.4
Impact — Companies neglecting labor standards would lose access to public financial support.5
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Meeting with Niels Fuglsang (Member of the European Parliament)

26 May 2023 · Klima, energi og industri

Response to EU Talent Pool

16 Mar 2023

FH Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation takker for muligheden for at komme med feedback til det kommende initiativ en EU-talentpulje. FH er overordnet enig i, at virksomhederne skal have mulighed rekruttere udenlandske arbejdstagere fra tredjelande, så længe det foregår på områder, hvor der er mangel på arbejdskraft i EU, og at et initiativ respekterer de enkelte medlemslandes regler og lovgivning for rekruttering af arbejdskraft fra tredjelande og vigtigst, at de bliver ansat på gældende løn og arbejdsvilkår i de respektive lande. Det er helt afgørende, at virksomhederne først og fremmest rekrutterer blandt ledige i Danmark (medlemsstaterne) og de 13 mio. ledige i EU, samt at virksomhederne løfter deres uddannelsesmæssige ansvar for at sikre fremtidens arbejdskraft. I det vedlagte dokument uddyber vi vores feedback og øvrige bemærkninger vedr. Europa Kommissionen høring om en EU-talentpulje.
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Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament) and Fagligt Fælles Forbund

7 Mar 2023 · Kaffe om EU-Kommissionens 2023 arbejdsprogram

Meeting with Christina Holm Eiberg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager), Stina Soewarta (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)

1 Feb 2023 · Green Deal, EU Year of Skills

Response to Strengthening social dialogue

20 Oct 2022

The feedback from the Danish Trade Union Confederation can be found in the attached document.
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Meeting with Christel Schaldemose (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Aug 2022 · last news from the EP

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

12 May 2022 · Danske prioriteter fra de sociale parter

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

4 May 2022 · Middag med nordisk fagbevægelse

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

20 Jan 2022 · Meeting with FH about platform work

Response to Social and labour aspects of the climate transition

18 Nov 2021

The Danish Trade Union Confederation (FH) appreciates this opportunity to give feedback on Council Recommendation on addressing social and labour aspects of the just transition towards climate neutrality. Firstly, we would like to emphasize, our commitment to an ambitious climate agenda. We support our national reduction of GHG to 70 pct. by 2030, and we support the climate objective of reaching at least 55 pct. reduction in GHG by 2030 in the European Union. In 2020 the Danish Trade Union Confederation put forward our proposal for just transition, a climate plan for 2030. We call it our master plan because it comprises all major sectors and because it does not just point to narrow climate initiatives but also to necessary supportive measures A healthy and safe work environment, worker participation, training and education, skills development and job security. We are awaiting the recommendation on the social and labour aspects of the just transition with great expectations. We have shared our proposal for a climate plan for 2030 as we hope it can serve as an inspiration for the coming proposal for a Council Recommendation. The plan thus rests on three principles: Solving challenges faced by society, creating more good jobs and ensuring social justice. The green transition is a journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. Some will experience bumps along the way as job functions disappear or as new skills requirements are introduced. It is crucial that workers know that there are solutions for them. There has to be security on the labour market and good opportunities for training and skills development. We must avoid a deterioration in living conditions and that ownership and support for the green transition is lost. In our proposal for a climate plan we put forward 112 policy initiatives paving the way for the 2030 target to cut Denmark’s emissions by 70 pct. We hope that some of the necessary supportive measures like a healthy and safe work environment, worker participation, training and education, skills development and job security will serve as an inspiration for the coming proposal for a Council Recommendation. Sharing of best practice on just transition and involvement of workers Alongside other initiatives to secure a just transition for Danish workers, we wish to raise awareness and to share the best practices on how we can enable a just, green transition together across Europe. We believe this is done by sharing concrete examples on how and why worker participation helps to enable a just transition. Worker participation is fundamental for our mission towards a just, green transition. Workers know their companies’ potential the best, and hold the experience and competence to lead their workplace in the right direction. Worker participation for the green transition means making the most out of the workers’ knowledge on specific practices, materials and routines – securing that decisions are made on the most well-informed grounds. As we are trying to gain control over the immense challenges and environmental degradation, the term “just transition” has, rightfully so, received increased attention on the international agenda including in the EU. By sharing best practices and examples on worker participation, we are aiming to pave the way toward just transition. Generating concrete actions to fill out the just transition frameworks and enabling worker participation. We have created the platform www.greentransitiontogether.com, where we are currently sharing different examples on just transition and worker participation. We hope to bring together trade unions from all over Europe, politicians, researchers and public authorities.
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Response to Proposal for a Regulation on establishing a Climate Action Social Facility

18 Nov 2021

The Danish Trade Union Confederation (FH) appreciates this opportunity to give feedback on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Social Climate Fund. In 2020 FH put forward our proposal for a climate plan for 2030 consisting of 112 policy initiatives paving the way for the 2030 target to cut Denmark’s emissions by 70 pct. Amongst other things we propose 1) that the EU’s 2030 targets must be increased by up to 70 pct. 2) the introduction of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and 3) a revision of EU Emissions Trading System. It is important for FH to continue the green development in the EU with initiatives that reduce uncertainty for workers, whose contributions and commitment are crucial to the transition. At the same time, we emphasized the need for a revision of the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) in order to avoid that reductions in Denmark are countered by increased emissions in other member states. Likewise, it is important that Denmark – together with the other member states – reduce the risk of carbon leakage to third countries by introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU. On the road towards implementing the commitments towards climate neutrality, both Danish, EU’s and other member states climate and energy legislation will expectedly undergo review and amending in order to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reductions. In the EU the Fit for 55 package paves the road towards the 2030 goal of 55 pct. reductions. There is no doubt that such amendments will have differing economic and social impact on different sectors of the economy, on the citizens, and Member States. And especially the revision of the EU ETS risk having a negative social impact on low-income groups and households. To this end FH supports the willingness of the Commission to tackle the social dimension of the transition and to try to compensate the regressive distributional effects of such measures. However, it is still unclear whether the proposed funding and the mechanism of the fund are sufficient and adapted to ensure a just transition. FH would like to call on the Commission to perform further analysis on the potential regressive distributional effects of both the revisions of the EU ETS, but also on other proposed amendments to EU climate and energy legislation. Moreover, there is a risk that certain industries, educational groups or geographic regions are especially vulnerable to the changes in the labour market brought by the green transition. In order to eliminate the uncertainty for workers it is important that these groups are helped further in the transition. This includes knowledge of who is affected, their skills and their skills requirements. It may not be in the scope of the proposal for a regulation establishing a Social Climate Fund, however it could be an integral part of the coming proposal for a Council Recommendation addressing the social and employment aspects of the green transition later in 2021. The green transition is a journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. Some will experience bumps along the way as job functions disappear or as new skills requirements are introduced. These workers need to know that there are solutions for them. There has to be security on the labour market and good opportunities for training and skills development. We must avoid a deterioration in living conditions and that ownership and support for the green transition is lost. Social justice is an aim in itself. However, it is also necessary in order for the green transition to succeed.
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Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Oct 2021 · Mindsteløn

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

14 Sept 2021 · Aktuelle arbejdsmarkedspolitiske sager

Response to Strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through pay transparency

27 Jul 2021

The Danish Trade Union Confederation works at national and European level for reducing the gender-based pay gap by enforcing the principle of equal pay and the concept of “work of equal value”. Equal pay is a fundamental right, which should be promoted and guaranteed. The Danish labour market is characterised by a strong involvement of the social partners at company, local and national level. Through autonomous collective bargaining social partners negotiate, conclude and enforce pay and working conditions, - including equal pay without interference from public authorities. Pay is in general regulated in two ways. Either by minimum-pay agreements (around 80% in industry, construction and services) or by normal-pay agreements (20% in transport, meat and food processing industries). In minimum-pay sectors, the collective agreement will include a minimum level, but the actual pay is negotiated at company level. In normal-pay sectors collective agreements contains a set pay, being adjusted in the same way for all employees working in the sector. Local negotiated bonus’ are possible. Social partners apply and enforce the principle of equal pay between women and men in their collective agreements and in the industrial relations system. The social partners have at sector level set up equal pay bodies dealing with breach of collective agreements or interpretation of equal pay principles. It is a fundamental principle for the Danish trade union movement that when EU regulates in areas covered by collective bargaining, it has to respect the autonomy, role and prerogatives of national social partners. FH welcomes the draft EC-proposal as it can by means of more transparency reduce the gender-based pay gap. However, closing the gender pay gap also implies addressing the gender segregated labour market and choice of education in general. FH calls upon the European institutions to work towards an ambitious pay transparency directive paving the way for reducing the gender-based pay gap. This can be achieved by providing companies and trade unions with the necessary transparency tools to enforce the equal pay principle enshrined in the treaty. The Danish trade union movement asks the EU institutions to: • Lower the threshold significantly for companies required to publish information on the pay gap between female and male workers. • Apply the terms “trade union” and “union representative” instead of “workers’ representative” to ensure that employers cannot appoint workers' representatives themselves thus circumventing unions and allowing for more lenient agreements. In companies where no formal trade union is present, the worker’s representative must be elected by all workers at the workplace • Specify the role of the social partners in judicial procedures. Cases on equal pay in areas covered by a collective agreement should be handled by the partners owning the collective agreement which has been breached • Ensure clarity on the role of public equality bodies and not mixing up with the role of social partners • Provide trade unions and union representatives with the same rights as individual workers to request information from employers on individual pay levels and average pay levels for categories of workers doing the same work • Make sure statistics on average pay levels are being broken down by gender and based on hourly pay and a non-discriminatory concept of pay, such as standardized hourly earnings, and must include all pay components such as pension and benefits. • Make sure that article 27 which protects the national collective bargaining models remains strong enough in protecting systems which are purely based on collective agreements when implementing article 4. • In general, the regulation has to be as simple and user-friendly as possible, in order to have a real impact. Shop stewards and employees at company level should be able to understand and use the transparency instruments in practice.
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Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Apr 2021 · Mindsteløn

Response to Initiative on adequate minimum wages

22 Dec 2020

Sagsnr. 19-2878 Vores ref. HERO 22nd December 2020 Consultation about the proposal for a directive on minimum wages The Commission has launched a public consultation on the proposal for a directive on appropriate minimum wages in the European Union EU has no authority to legislate on wages The proposal is based on Art. 153 (1) (b) about working conditions. The directive consists of two sections: one on wages, and a section on collective bargaining, where Member States with a collective agreement coverage ratio of less than 70 per cent. must take action to increase the collective agreement coverage. The Danish Trade Union Confederation - FH has on several occasions pointed out that wages are exempted from EU legislation in art. 153, para. 5. FH considers it extremely problematic that the Commission does not respect the excemption in the Treaty on pay, strike and lockout as well as the right to association. If it is first accepted that the EU can legislate in these areas, it will be the start of a slide. The EU will then be able to legislate on the other elements exempted in Art. 153 (5) and be able to adopt other acts in the field of pay. Changes to the text of the proposed directive will not change the issue about the legal basis. It should also be noted that reference is made to the Social Pillar, which was adopted with an explicit assurance that the pillar is not legally binding. The European Commission's willingness to disregard such a fundamental premise for the Social Pillar raises concerns about the impending adoption of the Pillar Action Plan. No exemption for Denmark Denmark is not exempted from the provisions in the directive, regardless of what is stated in art. 1,3 in the proposed directive. It is important to point out that this does not mean that Denmark or any other member state is exempted from complying with the provisions in the directive. The same article, para. 1, letter b, states that the directive must ensure "workers' access to protection of minimum wages either stipulated by collective agreements or in the form of a statutory minimum wage, where such exist. "Workers" means, regardless of the wording, "all workers", and Denmark cannot live up to the provision that all workers are guaranteed a minimum wage. There is therefore no excemption for Denmark in the proposed directive and an adoption of the directive may lead to Denmark having to introduce legislation to live up to the purpose of the directive. The Danish labour market model In addition, there are a number of points in the directive that are highly problematic for the Danish labor market model. Article 4 states that Member States where the collective bargaining coverage is less than 70% must take action to promote the coverage of collective agreements. Here the Commission disregards the wording of Art. 151 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which states that differences in national practice must be taken into account, in particular in the field of the collective bargaining. This provision will mean a break away from the division of responsibilities between politicians and the social partners, which is a cornerstone of the Danish labor market model. The collective bargaining coverage in Denmark is solely secured by the social partners. In conjunction with Article 11, the directive will mean that responsibility for areas falling within the competence of the parties in Denmark will be transferred to the government. As illustrated above, the proposed directive is highly problematic and can have serious consequences for the Danish labour market model. In conclusion, it must be reiterated that FH does not consider that the proposal respects the excemption in Art. 153 (5) and for that reason alone cannot support the proposed directive. Please find enclosed two legal analysis made by external legal experts to support our statement.
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Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Fagligt Fælles Forbund

16 Dec 2020 · European Pillar of Social Rights

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament) and Fagligt Fælles Forbund

23 Oct 2020 · Mindsteløn

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

22 Oct 2020 · Meeting on minimum wage.

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Sept 2020 · Europæisk mindsteløn

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Mar 2020 · Lovbestemt mindsteløn

Response to Strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through pay transparency

31 Jan 2020

FH – Danish Trade Union Confederation strongly support the aim to strengthen the principle of equal pay between men and women. The struggle for equal pay is a high priority to our unions/member organizations and their members and is constantly at our aim. The Danish gender pay gap is approx. 15 percent, and although it has moved slightly in recent years, it is moving very slowly. The pay gap is also highly instrumental in creating a pension gap between men and women, which in 2019 was approx. 20 percent. We welcome obligating member states to ensure pay transparency, and we are thankful for the opportunity to provide the Commission with our point of view on the matter. FH – Danish Trade Union Confederation advocates for equal pay and thus also for equal pay for work of equal value. We endorse a better definition of the value of the work, as it will make it easier for our members to realize their rights and to pursue them with support from our unions/member organizations. We have very few equal pay legal cases in the Danish labour market and, at least partly, this is a result of the low degree of pay transparency. In order to enable our union members to exercise their right to equal pay, it is necessary to create much more transparency. The 2014 recommendations on pay transparency have not had the intended effect, and therefore we are pleased that the Commission has made pay transparency a high priority. However, we are concerned that making all of the measures binding will leave very little room for nationally customized solutions developed in compliance with our Danish labour market model. Finally, there is reason to mention that the focus should not only be on compliance with the Equal Pay Act, but also on ensuring that the pay gap is closed. Whether inequality is legal or illegal, it creates inequality between men and women. • Binding EU regulation in relation to gender pay transparency has to fully respect the autonomy of the national social partners and the contractual freedom of social partners in particular in those member states where pay is exclusively a responsibility of the social partners. • It is a high priority to us that “work of equal value” is defined more clearly in Danish legislation. There are very few equal pay legal cases in Denmark. This is, at least partly, because of the unclear definition in current law. Therefore, we strongly support that defining “work of equal value” will become a binding provision in the new EU legislation. • Job evaluation and classification systems can increase pay equality at the workplace, but it needs to be adjusted to match the unique structure of the labour markets in the individual member states. In a Danish context, it is very important that the scheme is developed and implemented in accordance with the Danish labour market model. This would entail social partners to be involved in implementing the EU regulation in both Danish legislation and collective agreements, and entail that employee representatives are involved in the concrete assessments and classifications of jobs. • The Danish social partners and the Danish government has taken the first steps towards developing a new scheme for pay transparency in coherence with the Danish labour model. FH – The Danish Trade Union Confederation aims to strengthen the efforts to close the gender pay gap, and therefore it is our ambition to develop the new scheme with inspiration from both the English and the Icelandic schemes of pay transparency. We believe that both the Icelandic and the English equal pay schemes contain many good elements, but we find that none of them fit perfectly into the Danish labour market model. Therefore, we urge the European Commission not to choose one scheme over another, but let member states develop their own based on binding principles, targets or several measures in combination.
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

12 Dec 2019 · Minimum wage and social dialogue

Response to Promoting Automatic Mutual Recognition of Diplomas and Study Periods Abroad

26 Mar 2018

Many graduates still face obstacles of mutual recognition when studying abroad or leaving school. Even in the Nordic countries there is still work to be done, in regards to an automatic recognition of diplomas. One issue is obviously related to the great varieties of study programs (more than 400 bachelor programs in DK alone). It is true that there is a recognition of qualifications, however many documental requirements still exits and proves a barrier to many graduates wishing to work abroad. The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions agrees with the Commission on the fact that the lack of mutual recognition is hampering mobility between member states for the purposes of learning. However it is also a barrier in regards to ensuring free movement of workers and real social inclusion. As social inclusion is indeed also related to how migrant workers I.e. (Danes in Holland) can actively participate in the labour marked in question. One solution to this, could be inspired from other mutual recognition practices in for instance the free movement of goods - (CC labels). The EHEA, ENIC and NARIC bodies could choose to follow an avenue consisting of tools similar to a certain official label of approved diplomas/set of qualifications (for clarity purposes lets call it EU Qualification Stamp (EUQS). Such an official stamp or mark could pave the way for automatic recognition of academic diplomas.
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Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Commissioner)

18 Dec 2017 · EU Current Affairs

Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Commissioner)

16 Dec 2016 · Youth Initiative and Labour Mobility

Meeting with Inge Bernaerts (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen)

7 Jul 2015 · EU social policy