The European Public Services Union (EPSU) reported last week that a final deal, covering all public sector workers in Denmark, had finally been agreed after months of uncertainty.

Negotiations had previously gone to mediation and looked set to escalate to industrial action and a threatened lockout by employers in March.

Unions had planned targeted strike action involving 10%-15% of workers. In response, the employers threatened to retaliate with a massive lockout of 50% of municipal and 90% of state workers.
However, the mediation worked and the unions were able to secure an overall package worth 8.1% over the next three years.

The overall package includes a commitment to ensure pay developments in line with the private sector, accounting for 0.71% of the wage improvements. This replaces a rule which only guaranteed the public sector a proportion of the value of private sector increases.