Denmark: workers ratify the agreements renewing national collective agreements in the private sector with record abstention rates

‘No’ votes fueled by fear of social dumping.  92 percent of the members of the Blik-og Rørarbejderforbundet construction union voted no, while other construction unions rejected the agreement with 59 percent of no votes, because employers refused to adopt new measures to curb social dumping.  With this result, 3F, the key union in the sector, announced the investment of DKK 5 million (€672,155) to intensify actions against this phenomenon, including controls over foreign-owned sites.  However, HK, which voted no (88 percent) in 2010 because the rule that states that it is required to have 50 percent of members in a company to take part in negotiations (see our dispatch No.  100333), voted yes this time (only 16.7 percent of no votes), even though the rule is maintained.  Indeed, the union made a lot of progress in businesses – where it still cannot sign collective agreements because of that rule. 
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ed no (88 percent) in 2010 because the rule that states that it is required to have 50 percent of members in a company to take part in negotiations (see our dispatch No. 100333), voted yes this time (only 16.7 percent of no votes), even though the rule is maintained. Indeed, the union made a lot of progress in businesses – where it still cannot sign collective agreements because of that rule.

Record fall in turnout. Only 141,961 workers voted out of 484,939 with the right to vote. While...

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