The LO/FTF Council - An introduction

The LO/FTF Council is the Danish trade union council for international development co-operation. It was established, under a slightly different name, in 1987 by the two largest Danish confederations, the Danish Federation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Danish Confederation of Salaried Employees and Civil Servants (FTF).

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the international work of the LO/FTF Council are:

• to support democratic development of the trade union movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America
• to contribute to democratic development in the societies in which the unions operate

The international work of the Danish trade union movement is built on the fundamental conviction that a democratic trade union movement contributes to the democratic development of society when the trade union movement influences political, social and economic decisions affecting the whole society, through negotiation and dialogue.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY
The LO/FTF Council provides technical and economic support for the development of labour movements in a number of developing countries. The LO/FTF Council focuses on the following four areas for strategic initiatives to create a sustainable labour market:

• Democracy - social dialogue in the labour market
• Labour rights
• Poverty eradication, distribution policies and the informal economy
• Occupational health and safety and HIV/AIDS

PARTNERS
A great deal of the work of the LO/FTF Council is founded in the international structure of the trade union movement and in implementing multilateral projects. Typically, these projects are initiated as a collaboration between a Danish trade union under the umbrella of LO or FTF and the corresponding organisation in the developing country. In general, the two unions are members of the same international trade union association, an international trade union secretariat, which often acts as a third party in a given project supported by the LO/FTF Council.

The LO/FTF Council also carries out development projects in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which is the international union association of confederations.

The LO/FTF Council also has more direct working relations with selected central organisations in several developing countries through bilateral projects. In these cases, LO and FTF enter a direct collaboration with corresponding organisations through the LO/FTF Council.

In addition, the Danish trade union movement is represented through the LO/FTF Council in certain political and advisory committees, which influence Danish international policy regarding development and labour markets. The LO/FTF Council also acts as an advisor to the governmental Danish Agency for International Development Assistance (DANIDA) in the Danish partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
 

ORGANISATION

The Board of the LO/FTF Council

CHAIRMAN
Harald Børsting, President of the Danish Federation of Trade Unions (LO)

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
Bente Sorgenfrey, President of the Confederation of Salaried Employees and Civil Servants (FTF)

BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED BY LO
Thorkild E. Jensen, Danish Metal Workers' Union
Ole Wehlast, Danish Food and Allied Workers' Union
Johnny Skovengaard, The Association of Timber-Industry-Construction in Denmark
 Kim Simonsen, The Union of Commercial and Clerical Employees in Denmark
Peter Kvist Jørgensen, Danish Union of Public Employees
Marie Louise Knuppert, LO
Jørgen Juul Rasmussen, Danish Union of Electricians
Sune Bøgh, Global Solidarity Metropolian Copenhagen

BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED BY FTF
Susanne Engstrøm, Danish Association of Farmaconomists
Allan Baumann, Danish National Federation of Early Childhood and Youth Education
Grethe Christensen, Danish Nurses' Organisation
Anders Bondo Christensen, Danish Union of Teachers
Hanne Pontoppidan, Uddannelsesforbundet

The staff of the LO/FTF Council

GENERAL SECRETARY
Mads Bugge Madsen

EXECUTIVE CONSULTANTS
Jørgen Assens
Jens Aarup
 
PROJECT ASSISTANTS
Susan Gravgaard Andersen
Lone Ilum Christiansen
Unna Küssner
Kent Jensen
Sofie Okkels Birk
Henrik Dam

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
Henrik Als

INFORMATION OFFICER
Helle Schøler Kjær

INFORMATION
Carsten Flint Hunneche

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Janne Kildegård Tornsberg

ADMINISTRATION
Rima Z. Jarrar
Irgen Petersen
Mikala Thomsen
 
RECEPTION
Kate Djurhuus Petersen

SERVICE EMPLOYEES
Susanne Becker Nielsen
Chanthima Promlat Petersen