LO i Århus
A new departure for LO – in more than one respect
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Everything speaks for a new head office for the local trade union movement.
Concurrently with this, mergers are on the agenda at the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions in Aarhus (LO Aarhus) which, following the re-election of its chairman Hans Halvorsen, is again represented in the City Council.
“The scope of the work has surpassed all expectations. If I had expected beforehand to be less busy, I have been forced to think again.
The amount of work has taken me by surprise. This should, however, in no way be regarded as a lament because it has, at the same time, been a very positive experience to discover how much influence LO has, and to see that people do actually listen to us”.
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This is how Hans Halvorsen summarises his first four years as chairman of LO Aarhus. Here, at the start of 2002, the everyday life of the newly elected Social Democratic city councillor is unlikely to be any less busy; his entry into local politics does, however, enjoy the full backing and support of the trade union movement.
“We believe that the influence that comes from being represented in the city council is of considerable importance. Without in any way underestimating the demands the position is likely to make on my time, I still believe that I can combine my political career with my job as chairman of LO Aarhus.”
A former treasurer at the Aarhus office of the Danish Metal Workers’ Union, Hans Halvorsen became chairman of LO Aarhus when his predecessor, Torben Brandi, was promoted following the previous local election to alderman for the department responsible for the care of the elderly. But according to Hans Halvorsen, one should not expect this pattern to be repeated. He feels at home at the trade union movement’s stronghold in Amaliegade. The days here, however, may be numbered. A departure from the premises which have housed the trade union movement for almost 100 years is looking increasingly imminent. In any case, LO’s Executive Committee has been authorised to continue working on a project, thepurpose of which is to sell the existing premises to Aarhus Congress House and construct a new building in cooperation with some of the largest trade unions in Aarhus.
City centre location preferred
The reason for this proposal is that nowadays only 25 per cent of all activities taking place at Aarhus Congress House are related to the trade union movement – a figure that is actually expected to decrease even further. At the same time, new investments will be required to maintain the Aarhus Congress House’s position as a meeting place.
To fund these investments, borrowing would be required, an option which Hans Halvorsen and the other members of the Executive Committee are not happy about. Even though it would be an emotional wrench to leave a building that is seeped in tradition and nostalgia, the move from Amaliegade nevertheless seems inevitable.
“It does, however, presuppose that we can have the necessary conference facilities at our disposal in the future. At the same time, we prefer a location close to the city centre”, adds Hans Halvorsen, referring to the continued relationships with both the municipality and the Danish Employers’ Confederation (DA).
The new domicile, which is still in the planning phase, should also be seen in the light of the mergers that are likely to take place within the trade union movement, and which will lead to a need for larger premises.
The action plan LO Aarhus is co-author of the new business action plan which Hans Halvorsen finds _clearer than the plan for 1997-2001. The previous plan comprised 85 initiatives, which to a large extent were all realised, whereas the new action plan has been limited to 25 initiatives which have been allocated to half a dozen overall strategies. In the plan, there is more focus on education and new technology than on more traditional manufacturing industries. Hans Halvorsen also emphasises the importance of collaboration between the Aarhus School of Architecture and the construction industry. The action plan is closely connected to the employment situation. “Employment has seen a positive development, and the job situation has not been better for the past 25 years. Yet, with 9,000 insured unemployed in Aarhus, a figure which is above the national average, there is still a long way to go,” says the LO chairman. Socially Inclusive Labour Market Not only businesses merge. The trend is the same in the union movement. Over the next ten years, Mr. Hans Halvorsen, chairman of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions in Århus (LO Århus) expects a halving of the 40 independent trade unions which comprise the city’s umbrella organisation. However, these future mergers are not expected to affect the total membership of the organisation which currently stands at 68,000. Hans Halvorsen admits that mergers often clash with traditions, but emphasises that due to the complex mechanisms of the labour market it is necessary to disregard feelings if individual members are to be guaranteed the best possible service. The challenges facing LO Århus are looming high. The first concerns education and training. While people hardly ever miss a check-up on their car, only a third of members engage in the supplementary training courses which they are entitled to attend under their collective agreement. Hans Halvorsen finds this comparison, which LO is intending to change, particularly relevant. Another vision concerns moves towards a Socially Inclusive Labour Market, involving the inclusion of the partially disabled in the labour market as well as the greater integration of immigrants.
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