When the coronavirus crisis broke out in Denmark, on 11 March, my colleagues and I got busy ensuring an orderly shutdown for our members. Many employees had to work from home, others in stressful situations in hospitals, nursing homes and in the service sector, which remained open throughout the crisis. Clear answers and close cooperation with colleagues were necessities. 

I am also vice-president in the European Trade Union Movement ETUC, so I also needed to work with colleagues in other countries. I was pleased that on 14 March we – the Danish government and the social partners – concluded a tripartite agreement on temporary wage compensation. The agreement covers employees working in private companies that are suffering particular financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Companies have used the new wage compensation scheme where they have opted out of the existing arrangements for temporarily laying off employees without pay. Support schemes were set up for small businesses, self-employed workers and freelancers. Some parts of the agreement expire soon and we are currently negotiating its replacement so that employees continue to be protected.

I myself have been working from home and I quickly became a superuser of new virtual tools. This time at home could have been very stressful because of uncertainty about the future, but in the end it let me focus entirely on my work and gave me more time with my family. I am convinced these recent months have given me and my colleagues a sharper focus on our core mission and contributed to greater discipline at meetings. It has also meant for me personally that I have been able to concentrate on the essentials of my own life.