Are nursing unions strong enough to fight for better conditions for their workers? Does the government respect that trade unions are independent entities? Does the government take sides or remains neutral? Are conservative governments likelier to manipulate unions and the population so nursing unions lose credibility?
Just now I read that the Danish government forcibly stopped a strike called by a Danish nursing union in 2021. To me this looks like something any dictatorship would do. I’m a nurse and my union just got us a 30% pay increase progressively during the next 20 months. After this period expires, they will negotiate again.
I won’t disclose where I work and I’m simply comparing how good or bad I have it.
My next question is: has there been a nursing exodus to other countries / out of nursing after the government forcibly stopped the strike? have there been wildcat strikes after the government’ diktat?
Where I am we’re free to call in sick (so far). Everybody understands this is a demanding job and that nobody goes to work when the body aches.
My last question would be: are nurses in Denmark presented as people who should be happy to have the ‘honor’ of working helping people, meaning pay is not important? Where I live conservatives, private and Christian hospitals try to use this argument not to raise salaries. The smart nurses know what hospitals and nursing homes to avoid.
Disclaimer: Not a nurse and don’t know much about nurses so just giving you my generel impression.
I guess this depends who you ask. A quick search tells me that a freshly educated nurse can expect roughly 4400 USD a month. This is not a bad salary in Denmark. “Well paid”… Hm not well enough if you ask me. It’s not bad, could be better.
Usually, or at least historically, unions have been very strong and effective in Denmark which has lead to generally high salaries. But yes as you note, unfortunately the government stopped a strike by law.
I think on one side there is a political problem in that the politicians did this, which as you note goes against the spirit of unions.
On the other hand, we need to face the reality that there will be more and more elderly people and less and less people to pay for their care. I’m not sure how to fix this but perhaps giving nurses too high of a salary is simply unsustainable. But I do think we can do better.
I believe even before the strike, many nurses took substitute jobs in Norway because it paid better.
Everyone in Denmark is free to call in sick as well. You also usually get the first sick day of your child off.
I have never heard of such an attitude.