If you are employed at a workplace with a collective agreement, you never stand alone. The collective agreements also stipulate rules concerning the election of employee representatives.

At a workplace covered by collective agreements with ten or more employees, you are entitled to elect an employee representative. For certain workplaces, this right already applies at five employees. This will depend on the type of collective agreement in force for the workplace.

In workplaces with 10 or more employees, a work environment representative must also be elected.

Are you the new union representative at your workplace?

If you do not have a union representative at your workplace, you might consider whether being your colleagues' spokesman/spokeswoman would perhaps be something for you. 3F has many union representatives from abroad, and we can arrange for your training as a union representative.

The principal task for a work environment representative is to collaborate with the business management for purposes of providing a better working environment.

The work environment group must, for instance:

• Keep an eye on health and safety within the group's area and strive to influence the individual employee to exercise safe behaviour
• Ensure that the individual employee is responsibly instructed in order that everyone can perform their work at the least possible risk
• Participate in the Workplace Assessment Work
• Participate in the analysis of any industrial accident that may occur

A work environment representative cannot legally be dismissed while serving in this role. Therefore, it's a good idea to negotiate an agreement that will continue to protect the representative even after their term, unless such protection is already included in the collective agreement.