Fødevareindustri ok avis 2014 engelsk

OK AVISEN “We have ensured that our members in the food industry sector will continue to keep pace with the rest of the industrial sector for the next three years.

I hope the responsible collective agreement that has been negotiated can contribute to securing the food industry and to creating more growth and jobs. It’s good for the industry and it’s good for our members.”

Union Chairman Ole Wehlast Fødevareforbundet NNF

A reasonable new collective agreement Af Tage Arentoft, vice chairman

The negotiated collective agreement is not flashy, but according to union vice chairman Tage Arentoft it contains important improvements. Members of the food industry collective agreement will now vote on approval of the proposed agreement.

“I think that we have achieved a solid result. We have ensured that employees in the food industry will receive the same improvements as the other industrial professions. It is by no means groundbreaking, but it is a reasonable and responsible agreement.”

For this reason, Tage Arentoft, vice chairman and negotiator for The Food Workers’ Union NNF, recommends that food industry members vote to approve the collective agreement.

ave, as well as wage and pay rate increases. Dismissed employees will also gain additional rights: “It’s very positive that dismissed employees will have the right to take two hours off with pay to get advice and guidance from their unemployment insurance fund or union. They will also have the right to take an extra week of training during the notice period. Both of these measures will hopefully help dismissed colleagues move forward in new jobs.”

Social values and cold cash

We have given three years

The agreement includes social values in the form of longer parental leave and higher pension contributions during parental le-

En overenskomstforhandling er A collective agreement negotiation is a trade off in which employers and employees give

OK-AVISEN SPRING 2014 THE FOOD WORKERS’ UNION

something and get something.

But what has The Food Workers’ Union NNF given in these negotiations?

“There are no reductions in relation to the current collective agreement. But we have accepted a three-year collective agreement at a time when the crisis is beginning to ease up in Denmark. In return, we have received some wage and pay rate increases, which will hopefully keep real wages afloat over this period.

But only time will tell if this comes to pass. In any case, I believe that a three-year collective agreement is a reasonable price to pay for the improvements we have secured in the new collective agreement.

Significant improvements Union secretary for the food industry sector, Flemming dal Cortivo, is satisfied with the negotiated collective agreement: “Our members have strongly demanded wage increases, so I am certainly pleased that we have increased the standard wage by DKK 6.75 per hour over the next three years. Nuisance compensation and the free choice salary scheme are also increased.

Overall, these increases will make a noticeable difference in our members’ wallets.

Af Flemming dal Cortivo, union secretary

Increased sick pay for processing employees

Approximately one-third of the members of the collective agreement work under the special provisions for processing. Sick pay for these processing employees will increase by the same amount as the rest of the industrial sector. Sick pay is the pay that employees receive when they are sick or on their child’s first sick day.

“They will still not receive full pay during sickness like the other members of the collective agreement, but their sick pay will

increase. It was essential for us to secure this increase,” explains Flemming dal Cortivo.

Consolidation efforts unsuccessful

Since the 2012 collective agreement negotiations, The Food Workers’ Union NNF and The Confederation of Danish Industry have worked towards a consolidation of the food industry collective agreement. Despite extensive attempts, the parties could not reach an agreement:

“It is certainly regrettable, as a consolidation could have further increased the

OLE NIELSEN, Fertin Pharma, Vejle I am happy that the new collective agreement gives a little more freedom to individuals. The free choice salary scheme enables people to choose whether they want a little extra in salary or for their pension. And it’s good that we’ve raised real wages after many years of wage restraint.

TORBEN SØGAARD, Tulip, Esbjerg I think that simply managing to negotiate a collective agreement is a strong achievement. It hasn’t always been this way in the meat processing industry. We have gained the same wage increases as the rest of the industrial sector and that is quite OK in these times. I also think that the competence funds available to dismissed members are important.

OK-AVISEN SPRING 2014 THE FOOD WORKERS’ UNION

standard wage and would have been a good, long-term solution for the collective agreement. These plans have now been put to rest, but they can always be taken up again if the opportunity for a consolidation should arise,” says dal Cortivo.

Despite the lack of a consolidation, Flemming dal Cortivo recommends that members vote to approve the collective agreement:

“IT’S A GOOD AGREEMENT!”

What you get in the new collective agreement FOOD INDUSTRY WAGES AND PAY RATES Standard wage (including adult trainees) will increase by: 1 March 2014 - DKK 2.10/hour 1 March 2015 - DKK 2.25/hour 1 March 2016 - DKK 2.40/hour Standard wage for trainees: 1 March 2014 - 1.90% 1 March 2015 - 1.90% 1 March 2016 - 1.90% Standard wage for young employees under 18 will increase by: 1 March 2014 - DKK 1.26/hour 1 March 2015 - DKK 1.35/hour 1 March 2016 - DKK 1.44/hour Nuisance compensation will increase by: 1 March 2014 - 1.5% 1 March 2015 - 1.6% 1 March 2016 - 1.7%

→ TRAINING

If you wish, you are entitled to a clarification process (a screening) paid for by the Industrial Competence Development Fund (IKUF), which will help you get training through preparatory adult education programmes or courses for those with dyslexia.

Adult immigrants will also have a new opportunity to take Danish language classes through IKUF.

If you work in shifts during evenings/nights, the paid time spent on the screening will include your shift allowance.

Education efforts will also be strengthened by increased payments to the Meat and Food Industry Training and Cooperation Fund, which will increase by DKK .15 to a total of DKK .40 per hour in 2016.

The www.ikuf.dk website is being developed to make it easier to find courses supported by IKUF.

→DISMISSAL The free choice salary scheme will increase by: 1 March 2014 - 0.3% to 3.55% - 3.50% for processing 1 March 2015 - 0.4% to 3.95% - 3.90% for processing 1 March 2016 - 0.3% to 4.25% - 4.20% for processing

If you are dismissed, you will have the right to two hours of guidance from your union or unemployment insurance fund, with full pay. Here you can get

help and advice to help you move forward towards a new job.

You will also have the opportunity for an extra week of training during the notice period if you have been employed for at least six months.

→ TRAINEES AND INTERNS

Trainees and interns will be able to apply for funding for training during their free time.

→ PARENTAL LEAVE

Parental leave is extended by two weeks – one week for each parent. Parental leave will thus total 13 weeks; five for each parent and three that can be freely allocated between the parents.

The maximum payment for parental leave is increased by DKK 5 to DKK 145 per hour, or DKK 23,248 per month.

The increased pension contribution during the 14-week parental leave will increase by DKK 1.50 per hour. This means that the total contribution, including personal contribution, totals DKK 12.75 per hour or DKK 2,040 per month.

Sick pay – only for special provisions for processing employees. Most members who work under the food industry collective agreement receive full pay during sickness or in connection with their child’s first sick day. But this does not apply for members who work under the special provisions for processing employees, who have a special sick pay rate. This sick pay will increase as follows: 1 March 2014 - DKK 2.10/hour 1 March 2015 - DKK 2.25/hour 1 March 2016 - DKK 2.40/hour

REMEMBER TO VOTE OK-AVISEN SPRING 2014 THE FOOD WORKERS’ UNION

OK AVISEN CREDITS: Publisher: The Food Workers’ Union NNF Editor and responsible according to press law: Head of Communications Emilia Maria van Gilse

Photographs: Rune Evensen, Søren Zeuth, HungTien Vu, Henrik Bjerg, Axel Søgaard, Jens Bach, Poul Anker Nielsen

Layout: Stine Lindborg, Jacob Tesch Printing: KLS Grafisk Hus Circulation: 3.700

YOU DECIDE – REMEMBER TO VOTE

KIM HARE, Tulip Food Company, Aalborg

The Food Workers’ Union NNF has negotiated your collective agreement with The Confederation of Danish Industry. You must now vote yes or no on approval of the agreement.

The pay increase is clearly the best thing about this collective agreement. We ensure that real wages increase. That is important after so many lean years. I am also glad that parental leave is extended by two weeks. I hope that our members will vote yes on the collective agreement. It was the best result we could negotiate.

To ensure that we can continue to negotiate strong results in the future, we need your vote, whether you are for or against the collective agreement proposal.

THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT PROCESS Many collective agreements will be voted on in the near future. Approx.

600,000 employees in the private sector will be voting on a new collective agreement.

In some sectors, negotiations have concluded in an agreement, while this has not been possible in other sectors, such as the meat processing industry. Here, the conciliator made a settlement proposal to be voted on.

Voting on the collective agreement and the settlement proposal is done at the same time.

Either it will be a yes across the board, or a no for all of the 600,000 employees covered by the proposed agreement.

→ ACCORDING TO THE VOTING RULES:

If at least 40 percent of those eligible to vote participate in the vote, then the result (yes or no) is determined by simple majority.

OK-AVISEN SPRING 2014 THE FOOD WORKERS’ UNION

If less than 40 percent participate in the vote, at least 25 percent of all those eligible to vote must have voted no to reject a proposed agreement and trigger a major conflict.

→ HOW TO VOTE:

You will receive a ballot from your trade union representative. If you do not have a trade union representative at your workplace, your workplace will be visited by a representative from The Food Workers’ Union NNF, who will provide ballots. You may also receive a ballot with a return envelope by mail.

If you have not received a ballot before 4 April, please contact your local branch of The Food Workers’ Union NNF. Your vote is secret and anonymous, so neither The Food Workers’ Union NNF nor your trade union representative will be informed of how you voted.

→ YOU ARE ENTITLED TO VOTE WHEN YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE FOOD WORKERS’ UNION NNF AND:

You work under one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.

Er ledig, men har arbejdet under en af de overenskomster, der er forhandlet.

You are unemployed, but have worked under one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.

You are an early retirement benefit recipient on flexible early retirement and, at the time of the vote, work under one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.

You are a trainee and work under one of the collective agreements that have been negotiated.