Carsten Strøby Jensen INDUSTRIAL relations indenmark - from conflict-based consensus to consensus-based conflict DJØF Publishing
Industrial Relations in Denmark From conflict-based consensus to consensus-based conflict
Carsten Strøby Jensen Industrial Relations in Denmark From conflict-based consensus to consensus-based conflict DJØF Publishing Copenhagen 2012
Carsten Strøby Jensen Industrial Relations in Denmark From conflict-based consensus to consensus-based conflict 1. edition 2012 by DJØF Publishing Jurist- og Økonomforbundets Forlag All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Cover: Bo Helsted Print and Binding: Ecograf, Højbjerg Printed in Denmark 2012 ISBN 978-87-574-2798-1 Sold and distributed in Scandinavia by: DJØF Publishing Copenhagen, Denmark Email: forlag@djoef.dk www.djoef-forlag.dk Sold and distributed in North America by: International Specialized Book Services (ISBS) Portland, USA Email: orders@isbs.com www.isbs.com Sold in all other countries by: The Oxford Publicity Partnership Ltd Towcester, UK Email: djof@oppuk.co.uk www.oppuk.co.uk Distributed in all other countries by: Marston Book Services Abingdon, Oxon, UK Email: trade.orders@marston.co.uk www.marston.co.uk
Industrial Relations in Denmark Table of Content Table of Contents Preface... 9 Chapter 1. Industrial Relations in Denmark 1.1. Introduction... 13 1.2. The Danish industrial relations model... 18 1.3. Content... 22 Chapter 2. Theories of Industrial Relations 2.1. Introduction... 25 2.2. Classic system theory Dunlop and the industrial relations system... 27 2.3. Institutional theory... 30 2.4. Theories of action and strategic action... 34 2.5. Critical theory and industrial relations... 38 2.6. Human Resource Management... 45 2.7. Rational choice and theories of collective action... 49 2.8. Recent trends in IR research... 52 2.9. Summary of contemporary industrial relations research... 55 Chapter 3. Trade Unions and Industrial Relations New Roles for the Trade Unions 3.1. Introduction... 59 3.2. Confederations... 61 3.3. Organisational structure and business structures cartels... 65 3.4. Levels of unionisation reasons for joining... 67 3.5. Summary... 75 Chapter 4. Employers Federations and Industrial Relations Towards more Proactive Employers 4.1. Introduction... 77 4.2. The employers confederations... 78 4.3. Employers federations in the private sector... 80 4.4. The public sector... 83 4.5. Why employers join federations... 84 5
Industrial Relations in Denmark 4.6. Danish employers who are not in any federation... 89 4.7. Explanations for characteristics of forms of organisation adopted by private-sector employers... 93 4.8. Employers on the offensive... 95 Chapter 5. The Reluctant State in the Danish IR-system 5.1. Introduction... 97 5.2. Legislation governing rights and protection... 98 5.3. Legislation about disputes and resolving them... 100 5.4. Parliamentary intervention... 105 5.5. Exerting influence and setting agendas... 106 5.6. Flexicurity and the Danish labour market... 109 5.7. Summary... 117 Chapter 6. The System of Collective Bargaining Towards Organised Decentralisation 6.1. Introduction... 119 6.2. The September Settlement and the general agreement... 120 6.3. Industrial disputes in Denmark the right to call strikes and initiate lockouts... 122 6.4. Labour disputes in Denmark compared to other countries... 123 6.5. Evolution of the collective bargaining system in the private sector... 127 6.5.1. Sector-based negotiations... 128 6.6.2. Decentralisation, flexibility and freedom of choice... 131 6.5.3. Towards agreement-based welfare... 133 6.6. Development of the collective bargaining system in the public sector... 135 6.6.1. Organisational changes in the public sector... 136 6.6.2. Decentralisation of the public-sector agreement system New Pay and local pay... 139 6.7. Summary of the basic features and trends in the agreement system... 144 Chapter 7. Towards New Management Employee Relations Between HRM and Collective Representation 7.1. Introduction... 145 7.2. The collective nature of co-operation formal structures for employee participation... 146 6
Table of Content 7.3. Theoretical interpretation of the collective nature of employee management relations... 149 7.3.1. Management perspectives on the employees... 149 7.3.2. Employee perspectives on management... 151 7.3.3. Joint forms of management... 152 7.4. Perceptions of co-operation and influence in Danish workplaces. 154 7.4.1. Union representatives and managers... 155 7.4.2. Employees and relations with management... 157 7.4.3. Employees influence over their own work Denmark versus Europe... 159 7.5. Summary... 161 Chapter 8. The Europeanisation of Industrial Relations A Threat to the Danish IR system? 8.1. Introduction... 165 8.2. The EU and the Danish IR system... 166 8.3. EU labour-market directives... 170 8.4. Social Dialogue unions and employers federations at European level... 176 8.5. European employment policy the Lisbon Process and the open method of Coordination... 182 8.6. Other forms of transnational labour-market regulation, the OECD, ILO and European Court of Human Rights... 183 8.7. Summary... 185 Chapter 9. Globalisation and the Danish IR model 9.1. Introduction... 187 9.2. Globalisation indicators... 190 9.3. Globalisation and the Danish IR system... 194 Chapter 10. Conclusion 10.1. Introduction... 199 10.2. Towards a new division of responsibilities between the welfare state and the industrial relations system... 199 10.3. From conflict-based consensus to consensus-based conflict... 203 References... 211 Abbreviations... 227 Tables & Figures... 229 Index... 231 7