Denmark - Work-sharing saved jobs in crisis - January 28, 2011

Work-sharing, in the form of short-time arrangements, has saved a considerable amount of jobs throughout the crisis in Denmark, two assessments concluded. Companies were allowed to introduce work-sharing for up to 13 weeks. If necessary, they could extend that with 13 weeks after consulting the Regional Employment Council. The conditions for work-sharing were set out in collective agreements, and work-sharers received supplementary state unemployment benefit. A check of the Employment Region Copenhagen and Zealand found that 94% of the workers taking part in a work-sharing arrangement remained in work when it ended. A survey of the 3F union concluded that in 2009 83% of its members that were into work-sharing schemes continued in full-time employment afterwards. Many 3F members, working in manufacturing and construction, were hit by the crisis.

English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2010/03/articles/dk1003021i.htm

Danish: http://forsiden.3f.dk/assets/pdf/SD1868722830.PDF

This article was published in the Collective Bargaining Newsletter. It aims to facilitate information exchange between trade unions and to support the work of ETUC's collective bargaining committee. For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2011.