Here's what you need to know about unions in the Greater Copenhagen Region
Starting to work in another country is exciting, but it might raise a few unanswered questions. In our interview with two representatives from major labour unions in the region, you can read everything you need to know.
Hans: Sweden doesn’t differentiate between red and yellow; however, we specialise in different education levels. That means we differentiate between blue and white-collar job occupations.
We at Akavia are a white-collar union. Our members primarily work as economists, lawyers, social scientists, IT academics, personnel scientists, or communicators. But no matter if blue- or white-collar, the main task of a union in Sweden is pretty similar to those in Denmark. We are involved in determining the working conditions that will apply to various professions and various jobs. This is done through collective agreements where the trade unions and the employers agree on the terms.
In Sweden, collective agreements are very important because they regulate things that are regulated by legislation in other countries.
Photo credit: Clay Banks
Beatrice: I think a good example is the current discussion on the 4-day workweek. In Denmark, 37 hours are the standard amount of hours for a full-time job, distributed over 5 work days. But for some sectors, it might make sense to introduce a four-day working week. Then we can go in and negotiate if the 37 hours should be kept as a minimum for a full-time job or if it should be adjusted to something else.
Claudia: If there is such a close cooperation between employers and unions, can my employer decide what union I should be part of?
Beatrice: Nobody can force you to be a part of a union. Period.
However, there might be situations in which it might be of advantage to be part of the same union all your colleagues are members of. Let’s 90% of your co-workers are members of our union and a conflict at your workplace arises. Then, we might make use of our right to strike in order to make the employer meet our demands better.
During a strike, the employer won’t pay your salary. But since we prompted the strike, we will cover your salary via our “strike fund” – but only if you are a member of us. So 90% of your colleagues won’t miss any salary and then you as the “odd one”, you're not going to get anything from us.
Photo: iStock
1. Checking in
We take great pride in treating everyone in the Greater Copenhagen Region equally.
Our flat hierarchies at the workplace result from the belief that nobody is better than the other. We even have a name for it: the Jante Law.
However, we don’t always do our international colleagues a favour by simply “living by the law”. Instead, we have to acknowledge that our international colleagues are different: they don’t necessarily speak the language, have a different outlook on hierarchies, or are simply divergent.
Checking in regularly in a safe space, e.g., via a regular 1-on-1 meeting, shows great potential to create the feeling of belonging to the company.
Photo by Thomas Svanholm Fink
2. Again, Check-in, but this time with your company
Check-ins with international employees only are not enough. You and the company have to be ready and open, too.
Look at your onboarding process and ask yourself: Do you include onboarding topics relevant to non-Danish or non-Swedish employees? What is the general company culture like? Could you improve certain aspects?
3. Watch your language
True inclusion emerges when employees can chat and communicate outside official work tasks. Specifically, companies with predominantly national employees tend to switch to their native language when the conversation turns into a chit-chat rather than an official meeting. This might quickly lead to the exclusion of international employees.
Switching the company language from one to the other is undoubtedly a process that will take time. The first step could be to ensure that all working materials and official communication, such as all-hands meetings and emails, are available in English.
Photo by Thomas Svanholm Fink
4. Workshops
A great way to include internationals and their differing way of thinking and tackling projects, as well as reach a common ground for everybody in the company, is to provide workshops. Such workshops could be centered around the company's main values, culture, or work habits.
Photo by Thomas Svanholm Fink
Greater Copenhagen Region is a place of endless opportunities for businesses and people alike. A place to live grow and evolve.
- Top-quality of life
- Great for doing business
- Highly educated population
- Excellent infrastructure
- Direct proximity to two markets
- Lovely pastries
About Greater Copenhagen Region
Greater Copenhagen Region stretches over the borders of Denmark and Sweden. With 4.4 million inhabitants and 17 universities, it’s the largest metropolitan area in the Nordics and a global hub for growth, sustainable solutions and innovation. The region offers world-class research facilities and a creative business environment. Outstanding infrastructure makes Greater Copenhagen Region highly connected via rail, road, air and sea. The two main cities of the region, Sweden’s Malmö and Denmark’s Copenhagen are just a half hour train-ride apart. Its strategic location makes Greater Copenhagen Region the link between 25 million consumers in Scandinavia and 125 million in Northern Europe.