Denmark: government stops tripartite negotiations after metalworkers’ union refused to increase working time by removing public holidays

“We cannot and will not sign an agreement entailing the loss of national or paid holidays.  At a time of high unemployment, a working time increase is not acceptable.  However, we’re open to other systems allowing our members to work more on a voluntary basis” announced Thorkild E. Jensen, on June 7, after the meeting of the union’s central committee about the ongoing negotiations with the government and employers (see our dispatch No.  120339).  He added that his union remained “constructive” and wanted to keep bargaining for “job creation, education and a stronger Danish model.”  Indeed, when Dansk Metal’s leader supported the government’s plan to increase working time, it represented a minority within the union’s central council, following strong protest on workplaces against this working time increase, and therefore had to change its mind.  Finance Minister Bjarne Corydon (social-democrat), who said he was “surprised” by Dansk Metal’s position as it did an “in-depth field survey” before launching talks, used this rejecting to stop negotiations.  He wanted to increase working time to add about 20,000 jobs to the labor market by 2020, which would have brought the State’s coffers about DKK 4 billion (€538,268,118).  LO’s leader, Harald Børsting, regretted that negotiations ended so quickly, although admitting that it was “hard to bring the two positions in line.”