Hans Jørgen Limborg Research Director - Teamarbejdsliv

1. ”THE DANISH MODEL”Formalisedpreventivefacilitation & mediationExperiences from the Danish leg of’‘’¨¨‘ the NEIRE Project Hans Jørgen Limborg Research Director - Teamarbejdsliv Adjunct Professor – Roskilde University

2. ”THE DANISH MODEL” • 1899: The Main Cooperation Agreement: • The right and obligation to negotiate wages and conditions is exclusively on the Social Partners • The public sector is included in the 1960’s • Biannual agreements – with a right to conflict • The Conciliation Board mediates when agreements are made • Between Agreements the parties holds an Obligation of peace • The employers has the right to lead and distributework • The workers has the right to collectivelynegotiatewages • 22 Co-operation Consultants • 11 from A, 11 from B, work in pairs

3. The Ladder of conflict resolution • – resolution on the lowest possible level between agreements ”The Norm” Arbitration Arbitration Tribunals: Two from each party and an umpire from Labour court Meeting between Union and Employers Association Formal meeting at the Union ”Danish Labour Court Act” Relates to collective agreements The social partners: Mediation The labour law members: Arbitration and decisions Co-operation-Consultants: Preventive mediation & facilitation

4. Stages in conflict resolution Before conflicts: Cooperation consultant are supporting cooperation committees to be able to prevent conflicts to occur. Training of Shop stewards and managers Latent conflicts and early stage: Cooperation committees supported by Unions and Employers associations as facilitators Confrontation: Unions and Employers associations take over Hot Conflict: Arbitration or Labour Court Rebuilding working relations: Cooperation Consultants facilitate restoring cooperation committees.

5. ”Preventivefacilitation on the shop floor” An Employer representative says: “We had unproductive and hostile meetings. We agreed however that we discussed the wrong things. We were not able to leave a potential conflict and say how do we get on from here. We needed help to raise the level. Looking back, the mediators (Co-operation consultants) raised some relativ cool basic issues, it was certainly not high flying, but it was just a boost for us to realise how to do things differently.” Employee representative says: “ .. I really disagree with management some times… – but sometimes I have to look if there is some logic. Thats what I have to. I can’t just raise the axe and start shouting from the start. I look diffenrent at The Cooperation Committees today, I knew how it should work, but it is so different today after we had the Co-operation consultants visit us. It opened the whole thing in another way. I think the manangers are better listeners. Yes, in general we all are.” A Co-operation Consultant says: “If the Agreement is violated, it is our task to find out how. “The truth” is often between two lies, we have to find the middle of the road. In most cases we are able to do just that, if not we can send the case on to the next level. Our apporach is that the more local agreements we can support, the better is the future for the companies.”

6. Current trends • Progress • Support to Works councils and even TRIO*S (Shop Steward, manager and Safety representative • Organized by the social partners and funded through general agreements • Support includes: • Mutual training programs • Support to analyze and solve acute conflicts • Strategies to implement major changes in organizations - preventive involvement • Threaths: • The Public sector and the Danish Model • Current conflict – wages, working hours and lunch breaks • The Government is in a dual role as Employer and “Regulator” at the same time. • Reduced unioninisation among young people • New sectors with no tradition for agreements • Individualization

7. Thankyou for your attention hjl@teamarbejdsliv.dk