Denmark: 54th Dansk Metal Congress confronts the crisis

Maintain benefits and increase the number of members. The 54th Dansk Metal Congress, held in Aalborg on September 12-18, focused on how to face the union’s future challenges. The 486 representatives reelected their chair, Thorkild E. Jensen, for a third mandate. In preparation for the negotiations for the renewal of 2010 collective agreements, they already said that they would give up pay increases because of the crisis, with the objective to maintain and develop benefits. With its 130,000 members (December 2008), Dansk Metal has been suffering form a decrease in contributions, like other LO unions. Therefore, the Congress reasserted the need to tighten the links with members on workplaces and in local structures, while continuing recruitment efforts among young people who already helped the union increase the number of unionized apprentices, from 55 to 76% between 2003 and 2008.
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eed to tighten the links with members on workplaces and in local structures, while continuing recruitment efforts among young people who already helped the union increase the number of unionized apprentices, from 55 to 76% between 2003 and 2008.

Defending the Danish model. One of the hottest debates during the Congress was the unemployment boom and the closing of historical firms because of the crisis or after relocations abroad. Dansk Metal thinks industrial production should remain the basis o

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