Ok avisen slagterindustri og fødevareindustri ok 2017 engelsk

OK AVISEN We must safeguard the pay and working conditions of our members. I actually think we have solved this task by rejecting the demands for pay reduction and increased flexibility brought forward by the employers. With the mediation proposal, we pay a price for not having made our own settlements, but the demands advanced by the employers during the negotiations were even worse.

OLE WEHLAST, CHAIRMAN FØDEVAREFORBUNDET NNF

Annoying!

AF JIM JENSEN, VICE CHAIRMAN

Despite persistent negotiations, there were no specific results in the meat plant or food industries areas. Instead, the members must relate to the mediation proposal The collective bargaining committees had to be called to Copenhagen four times to participate in negotiations for new collective agreements for the slaughterhouse workers and the members in the food industry area.

For a long time it also seemed as if the parties could reach each other.

But then the employers’ demand for increased flexibility came forward.

– We were met with some demands that we neither would nor could honour. Actually, I think that we showed great willingness to negotiate, but we encountered a wall each time we tried to move away from definite wage cuts or unreasonable flexibility demands. I had hoped that we could reach agreement with the employers, but there

are limits to how far we want to go. We focus intently on good pay and employment conditions, and unfortunately that does not match the demand we encountered, explains Jim Jensen, vice chairman and negotiator.

The employers were naysayers

Jim Jensen is frustrated that the employers’ lack of willingness to negotiate is due to an already large flexibility of the members of the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF: – We were met with some demands that were much tougher than the demands which DI (the Confederation of Danish Industry) had set up for the rest of the labour market.

To me it seems very unreasonable

OK-AVISEN FORÅRET 2017 FØDEVAREFORBUNDET NNF

that the food workers should be punished for displaying great flexibility in the work. With hindsight, it almost seemed as if DI actually did not want to come to a result.

We made a number of offers, which complied with the employers’ need for both flexibility and the possibility of savings, but each time we encountered totally unreasonable demands for extended flexibility.

And at last we had to abandon to succeed, Jim Jensen states.

He is annoyed that nor this time was it possible to adapt the collective agreements, but at the same time he is content that, with the mediation proposal, the members in the slaughterhouses and the food industries in overall terms obtain the same as the other industrial workers.

So close – and still so far away – It may be that we did not reach the finish line with the negotiations, but it was a process with many opportunities. We have a collective bargaining committee in the food industry area which has been very good at thinking out of the box and which was open to new possibilities.

ANETTE S. LARSEN, NEGOTIATION SECRETARY, THE FOOD INDUSTRY AREA

They were willing to real negotiations, and they dared air the ideas that were needed.

Therefore, it is incredible that the employers stuck desperately to their demands for flexibility. They could have had a collective agreement which took into account some of their challenges with very varied production, says Anette S. Larsen.

In fact, the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF, was in agreement with DI in some

points, as to which avenue the new collective agreement should take: – I thought we would come to the finish line with an independent result. But when the demands for increased flexibility were tabled, it was all or nothing, and then we did not come any further. That is frustrating – both to the bargaining committee, the members and the employers, Anette S. Larsen expresses.

REMEMBER TO VOTE ok2017.nnf.dk

A comedown – It is said that it takes two to tango, and in the same way it takes two parties to negotiate a collective agreement. Unfortunately we experienced some employees who were very slow on the uptake.

TOM JENSEN, NEGOTIATION SECRETARY, SLAUGHTERHOUSE INDUSTRY AREA

They demanded a type of flexibility which most of all resembled wage cuts. And we neither could nor would accept that. Therefore, we had to abandon dancing and accept a mediation proposal, says Tom Jensen.

He does not hold back the fact that he is disappointed at the employers’ approach to the negotiations.

In turn, he praises the bargaining committee of the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF:

OK-AVISEN FORÅRET 2017 FØDEVAREFORBUNDET NNF

– They approached the negotiations very favourably and had a wish to adapt the collective agreement to the present conditions. Hour after hour they have spent dealing with proposals from the employers – even if some of them were rather extensive. They deserve much respect for the way in which they have handled these negotiations, Tom Jensen states.

– It is shocking that the great flexibility displayed by my colleagues in their working life is ”rewarded” by demands for further flexibility or wage reductions. With the demands made by DI, they must be either naïve or basically they do not want to enter into a new collective agreement with us. It should be obvious to them that we do not want to play a part in wage reductions.

BRIAN VESTERGAARD, TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVE AT DANISH CROWN BLANS AND A MEMBER OF THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE OF THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE INDUSTRY

This is what you get from the mediation proposal → Parental leave

Pay during the 13 weeks of parental leave is increased to maximum DKK 175.00 per hour.

The amount is increased by DKK 2.00 1 March 2018 and 1 March 2019

→ Being called home to a sick child

If a parent is called home to a sick child during a working day, the person in question is entitled to take the rest of the day off. Parents still have a right to the child’s day one of sickness.

→ Hospitalisation of children

– It has been a long, tedious and not particularly rewarding course of events. Our negotiation position was locked; both by the compromises entered into in other areas, but also by our own position. I am disappointed that once more we experienced that DI is far more engaged in the situation in the Danish Crown group’s enterprises than in the food industry enterprises.

We must avoid that situation in 2020.

MORTEN RASMUSSEN, TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVE AT CARLETTI AND A MEMBER OF THE BARGAINING COMMITTEE FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

Parents with at least six months of length of service are entitled to time off from work in connection with the hospitalisation of children – also if the hospitalisation takes place in the home.

→ Child care days

Parents will have the right to two annual child care days. No pay is made in connection with the child care days, but you can use your free choice account.

→ Senior scheme

A senior scheme can be agreed giving the possibility of using the free choice account, conversion of pension funds and non-used free choice days to senior days off.

→ Funds

The employers’ payment to Slagteri- og Fødevarenindustriens Samarbejds- og Kompetenceudviklingsfond (The Cooperation and Competency development fund of the slaughterhouse and food industry) is increased by DKK 0,05 as at 1 March 2017 and 1 March 2019

Standard pay (including adult learners) is increased by:

1 March 2017 – DKK 2.50 per hour 1 March 2018 – DKK 2.50 per hour 1 March 2019 – DKK 2.50 per hour Pay during sickness, children’s sickness, and the hospitalisation of children (including for adult learners) is increased by:

1 March 2017 – DKK 2.00 per hour 1 March 2018 – DKK 2.00 per hour 1 March 2019 – DKK 2.00 per hour Standard pay for learners:

1 March 2017 – 1.7% 1 March 2018 – 1.7% 1 March 2019 – 1.7% Nuisance bonus is increased by:

1 March 2017 – 1.6% 1 March 2018 – 1.6% 1 March 2019 – 1.6% The free choice account is increased by:

1 March 2017 – 0.7%, 1 March 2018 – 0.7%, 1 March 2019 – 0.6%

OK-AVISEN FORÅRET 2017 FØDEVAREFORBUNDET NNF

OK AVISEN

On Thursday, 30 March, the governing body of the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF, will take a position on whether they recommend the members to vote YES or NO to the mediation proposal. Read their recommendation at ok2017.nnf.dk

Publisher: Fødevareforbundet NNF Editor and responsible under the Danish Press Act: Communications manager Emilia Maria van Gilse Photographers: Rune Evensen, Layout: Stine Lindborg & Jacob Tesch Print: Nofoprint Circulation: 300

YOU DECIDE – REMEMBER TO VOTE → The Danish Food and Allied Workers’

Union NNF and DI did not succeed in reaching an agreement on new collective agreements for the slaughterhouse workers and the members in the food industry area. The collective agreements are therefore covered by the mediation proposal which collects all the collective agreements that did not obtain an individual result. → Now you are going to vote YES or NO to the mediation proposal. It is important that you vote whether or not you are for or against the mediation proposal.

THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE: Not only the mediation proposal is subject to voting in the near future.

About 500,000 salaried employees in the private labour market are all going to have a new collective agreement.

if less than 40 percent cast their votes, at least 25 percent of the registered voters must have voted no in order to reject the mediation proposal and trigger a major conflict.

Your vote is secret and anonymous so that neither the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF, or your trade union representative will be informed of what you have voted.

When the collective agreements results and the mediation proposal are put to the vote, it is made as one vote. Either it will be yes throughout, or it will be no for all the approximately 500,000 salaried employees covered by the mediation proposal.

→ How to vote:

You will have handed over a ballot paper from your trade union representative. If you do not have a trade union representative at your business, your workplace will be visited by a representative of Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF, who hands out ballot papers. You may also experience having a ballot paper with an addressed envelope sent by surface mail.

If you have not received a ballot paper, you can contact your trade union representative or your division.

→ You have voting rights when you are a member of the Danish Food and Allied Workers’ Union, NNF, and:

→ The voting rules stipulate that:

If at least 40 percent of the registered voters participate in the voting, a simple majority will determine if it is a yes or a no.

OK-AVISEN FORÅRET 2017 FØDEVAREFORBUNDET NNF

Work according to one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.

Are unemployed, but have worked according to one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.

Receive anticipatory pension (flexible) and at the time of the voting work according to one of the agreements that have been negotiated.

Are a learner and are working according to one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.