Danish union merger complete


From 1 January 2019, there is a transformation to the Danish trade union landscape. Denmark’s two largest union confederations, LO and FTF, have combined in a new organisation, FH.


LO traditionally organised manual workers while the FTF organised non-manuals. The new body brings both groups together in the new confederation. In total, the new FH will have more than 80 affiliated trade unions with more than 1.4 million members.


However, even after the merger, which was formally agreed last April, there will still be some unions outside the new confederation. 


The Akademikerne confederation organises many graduate-level employees and was traditionally the third biggest confederation with more than 300,000 members. It is not joining the new grouping. 


In addition, there are another 300,000 members in unions outside the main confederations. 


With more than two million trade unionists in total — although some are retired or students — and only 2.6 million employees, Denmark has one of the highest levels of union density in Europe.


The vast majority of Danish trade unionists will now be in a single confederation.