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The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is among the largest workplaces in Denmark, employing approximately 2,800 people.
Niclas Rasmussen, a consultant at the trade union HK Privat Sjælland, has also been working at the construction site for the past few years. However, he is not involved in constructing the large tunnel elements. One of his key tasks is to ensure good working conditions for the staff at the construction site.
Niclas Rasmussen at the site.
Language can be a barrier
As many of the employees are international, there are several challenges in organising them. Niclas Rasmussen explains:
- Of course, language is a barrier when it comes to organising and getting to know international workers. Some of them speak neither English nor Danish. This makes it difficult to build relationships, explain workplace rules and Danish legislation, and gain the trust and support of employees from different cultures and countries and encourage them to participate in local union activities.
Therefore, The Federation of Building, Construction and Wood Workers' Union (the BAT Cartel) has opened a House of Unions at the construction site. The purpose is to co-operate in organising employees and negotiating with the project owner, Femern A/S, the large contractor consortia Femern Belt Contractors (FBC) and Femern Link Contractors (FLC), as well as a number of subcontractors.
About the BAT Cartel
- United Federation of Danish Workers (3F)
- Danish Painters’ Union (Malerforbundet)
- Union of Plumbers and Allied Workers (Blik- og Rørarbejderforbundet)
- Danish Union of Electricians (Dansk El-Forbund)
- Danish Metal Workers’ Union (Dansk Metal)
- Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees in Denmark (HK)
- Association of Professional Technicians (Teknisk Landsforbund)
Up to 15 different nationalities
Niclas Rasmussen's key task is to represent the interests of the office staff at the construction site. He is also responsible for facilitating a weekly coordination meeting between the 7 BAT Cartel unions.
Union work has many aspects – such as ensuring good housing and leisure facilities, entering into collective agreements, health and safety work, organising employees and supporting trade union and health and safety representatives, ensuring a positive learning environment for trainees, as well as concluding local agreements on wages, shift work, on-call duty, etc.
Niclas Rasmussen has participated in negotiation meetings with up to 5 different nationalities and member meetings with up to 15 nationalities represented. It is challenging, but also exciting and educational.
- The Danish bargaining model is unique, but few employees in Rødbyhavn are familiar with it in practice. The first step is to learn and understand the Danish bargaining model. This is what we work on every day through our co-operation in the BAT Cartel.
Niclas Rasmussen in his office in Rødbyhavn.
Remarkable results
HK Privat has entered into collective agreements with FBC (responsible for the dredging work) and FLC (responsible for constructing the tunnel).
The FLC laboratory technicians, who work in shifts testing concrete mix, have also elected a trade union representative. The office staff are going to elect a new trade union representative this month.
- It takes co-operation and persistence to achieve results. Traditional union work still plays a key role, but it is necessary to invest time and resources, Niclas Rasmussen says.
So far, the parties have agreed on a monthly minimum wage increase of DKK 2,000 for adult trainees as well as better holiday conditions. They have also concluded local agreements in individual departments on working hours and pay for staggered hours, shift work, night work, on-call duty, etc.
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Union presence prevents problems
Several studies of the Danish construction industry have documented significant challenges for migrant workers, who are under pressure to work faster and for lower wages than their colleagues.
They are also more likely to fill the most dangerous jobs. Migrant workers carry the heaviest loads and perform the most physically demanding work, which creates A and B teams in the Danish construction industry. This kind of discrimination is illegal, but it is often extremely difficult to prove if migrant workers are not members of a trade union.
However, Niclas Rasmussen has not yet encountered such cases. He is convinced that employers are aware of the presence of the Danish unions and that they are monitoring working conditions at the construction site.
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is expected to be completed in 2029. The factory halls are planned to remain in Rødbyhavn once construction of the tunnel is finished.
The site seen from above.