Background information

When the first support packages directed at keeping jobs and supporting companies were activated, the Danish Trade Union Confederation (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation, FH) and its biggest member unions established a home page that on a current basis offers information and guidance about support measures and other issues that concern the union members due to the spread and effect of the corona virus and COVID-19.

Content of measure

FH’s home page contains guidance and answers to COVID-19-related questions, including guidance on tripartite agreements on wage compensation, including rates, on the job sharing schemes, on maternity benefits, and on compensation for apprentices and trainees. Part of the home page is build up as answering FAQs. The visitors to the home page is also recommended to visit their own union’s home page.

The biggest unions of FH also offered support and guidance on their home pages:

3F: United Federation of Danish Workers (Fagligt Fælles Forbund) offers information and answers questions about the wage compensation scheme, the job sharing schemes and unemployment benefits and other social security benefits. Besides the home page informs about possible continuous training during the time when the employee are furloughed. There is also general information about the corona virus including how to deal with it at the workplace. Members of 3F are skilled and unskilled blue-collar workers.

HK Danmark: The union of clerical and commercial workers, HK, offers an overview of pages about coronavirus in relation to the members’ working life. The information addresses the members of HK Danmark’s four sector unions, all white-collar employees: HK Trade for members in retail, administration and storage. HK Municipal for members employed in municipalities and regions. HK Private for members in the private companies and HK State for members working in the state.

FOA: Trade and Labour (Fag og Arbejde) offers support and answers regarding the corona situation and the workplace including a hotline. FOA’s largest group of members are social and health care assistants and hospital porters, which means that FOA’s members are front line employees in the health care sector.

Use of measure

According to the unions the members frequently ask questions about how to relate to information and issues regarding COVID-19 or visit the home pages in order to find information in the FAQ section.

No number is stated, but according to an article, the most clicked page on FH’s webpage by a great length in 2021 was FH’s guide to corona.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Trade unions	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	No involvement
Form	Any other form of consultation, institutionalised (as stable working groups or committees) or informal	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Only trade unions
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

The confederation, FH, and the biggest unions 3F, HK and FOA in this case offers guidance on special home pages to the union members about corona and COVID-19 related issues.

Views and reactions

There is no special reaction, of course, regarding this issue. However, the union members have expressed satisfaction with the information and guidance about the support measures.

Sources

• 20 March 2020: Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisations vejledning om corona virus (fho.dk)
• 20 March 2020: Coronavirus - Find svar om corona og arbejdspladsen - FOA (www.foa.dk)
• 20 March 2020: 3F - Vejledning om corona ift arbejdsfordeling og dagpenge (www.3f.dk)
• 20 March 2020: Coronavirus - Få overblik her - HK (www.hk.dk)
• 20 December 2021: Top 10: Flest ville læse FH’s vejledning om corona i 2021 (fho.dk)