The public sector collective bargaining round 2018: Explaining the process and nuancing the balance of power

Abstract

OK18 was the hitherto most dramatic collective bargaining round in the Danish public sector. First, we point out that the bargaining process and settlements was the result of the musketeer’s oath, the trade unions’ success in mobilizing rank and fi le members and winning the public opinion in a context of a parliamentary election where a government intervention would not be easy. Second, drawing on an analysis of the actors’ strategies and mobilization of different power resources during the negotiations, we argue for a more nuanced understanding of the balance of power in the Danish collective bargaining model in the public sector. The recent history of the collective bargaining system in Denmark – especially the collective bargaining round in 2013 – confi rms that the double role of government employers can be a powerful tool. However, the collective bargaining round in 2018 testifies that this understanding of the balance of power cannot account for the bargaining process and results and must be revised.