Dansk El-Forbund – English

Electrician, welcome to Denmark! Remember to check up on your collective agreement.

Electricians working at Danish working places have a number of rights that are laid down in collective agreements. If you work for a company, which is covered by a collective agreement, you have the same rights as your Danish colleagues. If the company does not have a collective agreement the officers from the Danish Union of Electricians will negotiate a collective agreement as soon as possible.

Who are we?

We are the trade union for electricians working in Denmark. Therefore we know about the salary and the conditions, you should have while working in Denmark. We negotiate the collective agreements for electricians and cooperate with the employers’ organizations Tekniq Arbejdsgiverne and the Confederation of Danish Industry. You can read the Electricians Collective Agreement in English here:

Electricians Collective Agreement in English

Most Danes are members of an unemployment fund, which will ensure an income in the case of unemployment. You can also become a member of The Electricians Unemployment Fund when you contact the Danish Union for Electricians.

Check up on your collective agreement

Collective Agreements

In Denmark it is not the government but the social partners that agree upon the regulations on the labour market. The regulations are written in an agreement between your union and an employers’ organization / your company.

In Denmark there is no statutory minimum wage. Therefore, you always need to know for which company you work, and whether your employer has a collective agreement. In this regard the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians is always ready to help and guide you.

Your employer may have agreed a collective agreement either as a member of an employers’ organization or as an
accession agreement directly with the Danish Union of Electricians. Contact the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians to find out the specifics for your employer. If there is no collective agreement the local branch will negotiate and sign a collective agreement with your employer.

Employment contract

In Denmark you must have an employment contract containing:

Name
Address
Telephone number
CPR/CVR-number
Type of pay – hourly or piecework
Date of commencement
Info regarding collective agreement

The employment contract must be signed in two copies by your employer and yourself.

Salary and minimum wage

Your salary should be composed of the minimum wage based on the collective agreement plus a supplement negotiated locally. In Denmark the minimum wage does not mean it is the minimum wage you may receive. On the contrary it is the lowest possible basis upon which a further amount should be paid based on local negotiations between your employer and the shop steward or the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians.

You can click on the link below to see the level of salaries in the area you work in:

Average local wages

Payslip

Each employee working for a company covered by a collective agreement must receive a payslip at every payroll. The payslip must include information about hourly pay, working hours, overtime pay, holiday pay, sick pay, pensions pay and compensation for loss of earnings on public holidays.

If you see “on-account amount” on your payslip, you must check whether it corresponds to the amount that has actually been paid to you.

Working hours

Working hours are normally fixed at 37 hours per week and must be between 06:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Friday. Other working hours must be agreed in writing between employee and employer. It is important to keep a record of how many hours and where you work. Write it down in a calendar or keep a copy of the weekly timesheet you submit to your employer.

Overtime and weekend work

If you work more than 37 hours a week or on the weekend, you are normally entitled to extra payment in addition to your hourly pay. Typically, you get +50% payment the first three hours of overtime and +100% for the rest. Remember that you must receive payment for ALL the hours you work. If you have made special working agreements with your employer with more than 37 hours a week, it is a good idea to have them (agreements) checked by the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians.

Occupational pension and health care

If your employer is a member of an employer’s organization or is covered by an accession agreement you are covered by a pension scheme. The total contribution is in most cases 12 % of your total monthly pay, of which you must pay 4 % yourself, while the rest is paid by your employer.

Many pension funds offer a healthcare scheme which means you may have access to free treatments such as massage or physiotherapy. There is also a range of insurances associated with you pension e.g. in case of your death or critical illness.

The local branch of the Danish Union for Electricians can inform you about the rules for your company and collective agreement.

Holiday

Holiday According to Danish law you are entitled to 25 holidays with allowance every year. The allowance is equivalent to 12.5% of your pay. You will earn 2,08 days per month, and holidays can be held from September 1 until December 31 in the following year. The collective agreements grant you additionally 1 week (the 6. holiday week). You are entitled to 15 consecutive days of holiday (3 weeks) in the period from May 1 until September 30.

Guide: Check up on your collective agreement

Danish Union of Electricians, 2020

Read the leaflet

Wish to become a member?

If you wish to become a member of the union fill out the registration form and send it to def@def.dk.

Download Registration form to become a member

Do you have any questions?

There are a lot more rules and rights, which are not described here. When you contact the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians you will get the facts on salary etc. You are very welcome to contact us in English. If you need to know more or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the local branch of the Danish Union of Electricians. We treat all inquiries confidentially.

Contact your local branch

Bornholm

Phone: +45 56 95 70 82
E-mail: bornholm@def.dk

Visit local website

Funen

Phone: +45 66 12 52 05
E-mail: fyn@def.dk

Visit local website

Copenhagen

Phone: +45 35 86 50 00
E-mail: kbh@def.dk

Visit local website

Little Belt

Phone: +45 76 42 43 50
E-mail: lillebelt@def.dk