Twelve physiotherapists in North Jutland have concluded a six-month strike against private clinic Benefit Nord. The labor dispute represents one of the longest healthcare strikes in recent Danish history and has resulted in the first-ever collective agreement for private practice physiotherapists in the region.
The breakthrough came after prolonged negotiations between the Physiotherapists' Union and employer organization Danish Business, which represented Benefit Nord's clinics in Frederikshavn and Sæby. Union chair Signe Lærke Børsting described the settlement as tremendously significant for the profession.
Until today, no collective agreements existed for private practice physiotherapy in this area, so this is absolutely massive, Børsting said in a statement.
The new two-year agreement grants physiotherapists several key benefits they had been seeking. Workers gained rights to a sixth week of paid vacation, paid leave for a child's first sick day, representation through a shop steward, and employer-paid pension contributions of 15 percent.
In compromise, therapists conceded their demand for paid lunch breaks and accepted a smaller wage increase than originally sought. The settlement follows more than three years of preliminary discussions between the parties.
Clinic owner Kenneth Madsen expressed relief that both sides could refocus on patient care. We are happy that we can now again focus on providing the best physiotherapy to North Jutlanders who need our help, Madsen stated.
Labor market researcher Laust Høgedahl from Aalborg University characterized the conflict as highly symbolic for both sides. He noted the strike's exceptional duration and predicted it would set precedent for similar negotiations nationwide.
We will certainly see physiotherapists take this agreement and approach clinic owners who aren't organized anywhere and request similar collective agreements, Høgedahl observed.
The researcher assessed the outcome as favorable for therapists, who secured multiple benefits they previously lacked. The union now plans to pursue industry-wide agreements for all private practice physiotherapists across Denmark, potentially transforming working conditions throughout the healthcare sector.
This landmark settlement demonstrates growing organizational power among Danish healthcare professionals and may inspire similar collective action in other private medical fields. The successful strike outcome suggests shifting dynamics in Denmark's traditionally consensus-based labor market, particularly within the expanding private healthcare sector.