What is a trade union?

A trade union works to ensure the best framework for your working life by negotiating good salary and employment terms at your workplace. This is done in part by negotiating agreements with employers. The collective agreements are what ensures that you have a better working life via some very key rights. For example, this gives you the right to:

• An hourly wage of at least DKK 159 for students
• Annual salary increases
• Up to 48 holiday days off per year
• Overtime pay
• A supplement of up to 75% of salary for work at inconvenient hours
• Dental insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Pension contribution of typically 16.90%
• ...and much more

Contact Finansforbundet or your local union representative if you are in a student job and need specific knowledge about what rights apply to you.

Finansforbundet is a trade union for the entire financial sector

Finansforbundet is an industry-specific trade union for everyone employed in the financial sector, and eight out of ten employees in the financial sector are a member with us. This strong support means that we can negotiate collective agreements with attractive salary and employment terms. In other words, by standing together in Finansforbundet, we achieve really good salary and employment terms so that you don’t have to negotiate yourself to get a suitable pension contribution, extra holiday days, paid parental leave, flexible working hours, dental insurance etc.  

Over the years, we have negotiated one of the best collective agreements in Denmark. Furthermore, salary and employment terms are generally significantly better in financial companies that have a collective agreement with Finansforbundet compared to financial companies that do not have a collective agreement with Finansforbundet. And if you become a member, you can also have an influence on what Finansforbundet prioritises in negotiations with employers.

What is the difference between a trade union and an unemployment insurance fund?

A trade union works for your interests in your working life and help negotiate good terms at the workplace, while an unemployment insurance fund acts as a type of insurance that ensures your right to be paid unemployment benefits if you become unemployed, such as when you complete your education.

Remember that you must register with the unemployment insurance fund at least one year before you finish your education if you want to secure your right to unemployment benefits once you have completed your education. If you delay signing up until you have finished your course, a one-month waiting period will apply, meaning that you will lose out on monthly unemployment benefits of up to DKK 15,868 (2022 rates).

Finansforbundet has its own unemployment insurance fund – part of FTFa. As a student under the age of 30, you can become a free member. If you are over 30 years old, special rules apply.