eWORK 2000 - European Telework Week

New Ways to Work 2000European Telework5.3 DenmarkSummaryDenmark is among the vanguard group of Nordic nations which leads Europe, and often the world, in terms oftake up of ICTs and new forms of work including telework. As such, it is also reaping the considerableeconomic growth and prosperity benefits which this brings. This is based upon strong governmental leadershipcoupled with active social partner cooperation in terms of labour market policies and the development and useof new technology. For example, the new Digital Denmark national programme and the rapid spread oftelework framework agreements at the workplace.Recent estimates put the number of teleworkers at about 13.1% of the workforce. Most of these are employeesworking at home occasionally or practising mobile telework, but the incidence of freelance telework isincreasing rapidly.Denmark had a very successful year in 1999 on the European stage through its hosting of the 1999 Teleworkand New Ways of Working Assembly in Aarhus and by winning three out of six European Telework Awards.Denmark is set for further rapid growth and change as ICTs are starting to become everyday tools, not just atwork but also in the everyday life of citizens. The next generation, particularly, is tuned into Internet use as aJuly 2000 survey has shown that all Danes between the ages of 15 and 19 are already regular Internet users.General economic and employment backgroundDenmark is among Europe's highest investors in, and users of, ICTs, PCs and the Internet, but until quiterecently telework was not a topic of discussion, let alone action. 1997 saw a complete transformation, with asurge of both interest (in the media, at conferences, by government) and activity, so that eWork, e-Commerceand Information Society developments generally are now firmly and permanently on the agenda of both publicand private sectors and high in public and media consciousness. While there have been many influences atwork to bring this about, the most important are the very high prosperity (the highest per capita income inEurope after Luxembourg), low unemployment and high skills and competence levels.An important feature is also Denmark’s development of a dynamic but robust labour market model basedupon three main factors:• active tripartite co-operation between employers, employees and the government• strong organisations on both sides of industry (employers and employees)• collective agreements between both sides constituting the most important source of law in labour marketmatters.Trades unions have since 1997-98 been enthusiastic supporters of telework, provided it is introduced on avoluntary basis and subject to framework agreements which ensure that employees do not suffer worseconditions of employment or workplace facilities than non-teleworking colleagues. Indeed, Denmark is leadingthe world in the development and implementation of such agreements so that, by the end of 1999, over 1.5million employees (more than half the workforce) enjoyed collective agreements for telework, for example the1999 framework agreement covering telework for 600,000 public sector workers. LO, the DanishConfederation of Trades Unions (http://www.lo.dk), is a leading player in such developments and hasdeveloped a programme entitled the developing workplace to accommodate all relevant aspects.- 54 -