Leaders of the Danish Union of Electricians, along with their counterparts on the employer side, visited the IBEW International Office Oct. 1.

The Danish electrical workers — known in Denmark as Dansk El-Forbund — represent more than 30,000 workers in construction and utilities.

Denmark is one of Europe's strongest economies, with an unemployment rate of less than 5 percent. With an economy that is highly rated by many international financial institutions and pro-corporate think tanks, Denmark also possesses one of the world's strongest labor movements.

Unions — which represent the overwhelming majority of Danish working people — not only bargain for wages and benefits but are key players and decision-makers in the economy, working with employers to guarantee a broadly-based prosperity.

Denmark has a long history of strong labor-management participation, which has maintained good industrial relations, while providing employers with a steady stream of highly-skilled workers.

High-wages, strong unions, and government support for job training and social benefits have made Denmark not only one of the world's wealthiest nations, but also home to some of the lowest levels of income inequality.

"We have a lot to learn from how they do things in Denmark," said International President Edwin D. Hill. "It shows that unions can work with employers to drive standards up for working people and still have a successful and profitable economy."

General-Secretary Jørgen Juul Rasmussen and Niels Jørgen Hansen, head of Tekniq, the Danish electrical contractors association, met with President Hill and Secretary-Treasurer Sam Chilia, along with Construction and Maintenance Department Director Jerry Westerholm.

Representatives from the National Electrical Contractors Association and the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee were also on hand to explain the structure of the electrical industry in the United States and showcase the IBEW's and NECA's state-of-the-art training and educational resources.

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