FSL is in continuous dialogue with the Ministry of Education, Agency for the Modernisation of Public Administration, Danmarks Privatskoleforening (Denmark’s Private School Association), Dansk Friskoleforening (The Danish Independent Schools Association), Efterskoleforeningen (The Efterskole Association), Lilleskolerne (Association for Independent Primary Schools), Foreningen af Kristne Friskoler (Association of Christian Independent Schools) and many others. FSL has members representing all independent school types and is the only union representing all of the different types of schools.
18
FSL and Christiansborg Frie Skolers Lærerforening (FSL) is in dialogue with politicians and interest groups in order to attend to your interests.
in connection with the teachers’ general demands in collective agreement negotiations and other issues relating to teachers’ general interests.
Many of the decisions that are of significance to your life as a teacher are made when FSL negotiates collective bargaining agreements (so-called OK-aftaler) for teachers every second or third year. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Between the periods of collective agreement negotiations, we engage in a targeted dialogue together with school organisations and politicians on all levels in order to defend the interests of the teachers and independent schools.
The schools area is divided in such a manner that if you are employed by a folkeskole, the conventional Danish public primary schools, you cannot receive help from FSL; correspondingly, if you are employed in an independent school, you cannot receive help from the Danish Union of Teachers (Danmarks Lærerforening - DLF).
FSL's mission is to engage in dialogue and participate in the public debate to ensure that politicians remember and understand the conditions of the independent schools when the national budget is negotiated each year, and when the independent schools are under political pressure from opponents of independent schools.
FSL and the other teachers’ organisations Frie Skolers Lærerforening (FSL) works closely together with the Danish Union of Teachers (Danmarks Lærerforening - DLF) and the education association in the Teachers’ Central Organisation (Lærernes Centralorganisation – LC). This is where the general lines are drawn
F R I E S KO L ER S L Æ R ER FO R EN I N G
You must therefore be aware if you come from a position in a folkeskole or elsewhere, that membership in the Danish Union of Teachers, The Danish Association of Masters and PhDs (Dansk Magisterforening) and others cannot be used when you are employed by an independent school. Only FSL can help you when you are employed at an independent primary school* or efterskole. Some of the employees at independent primary schools work both with the introduction to school (indskolingen) and in the school’s SFO (before- and after school programme) and are therefore covered by two different collective agreements: one with FSL and the other with BUPL (Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators). FSL and BUPL have therefore reached an agreement, that makes it possible to be a member of both organisations for the price of just one of them but with full membership rights in both organisations.
*with the exception of primary schools that are part of private 'gymnasiums' (gymnasier).
19