In July 1999, at the third attempt and following four weeks of strike action, Danish midwives accepted a proposal for a new collective agreement. At the same time, a proposed agreement was struck for bioanalysts and, if this proposal is accepted by union members, the 1999 public sector bargaining round will be complete.
In July 1999, four weeks of strike action by 130 midwives ended when members of the midwives' trade union (Den almindelige Danske Jordmoderforening, DADJ) voted by a large majority to accept the collective agreement which DADJ had negotiated with the Association of County Authorities (Amtsrådsforeningen) and Copenhagen's joint hospital administration (Hovedstadens Sygehusfællesskab, HS). More than 60% of the union's members voted in the ballot and more than 71% of those voting were in favour of the proposed agreement.
The collective agreement is a result of long and difficult negotiations. In April, a large majority of members rejected a first proposed agreement reached as part of the public sector bargaining round (DK9903114F). The public conciliator postponed the notice for an industrial dispute (DK9905126N) and a new proposed agreement was presented on 31 May. This proposal was again rejected, this time by a very narrow majority of 17 votes. Consequently, a dispute broke out on 17 June. Two weeks later, on 1 July, DADJ presented a proposal for a new settlement to the employers, and the parties were subsequently able to agree on this third version. The new collective agreement keeps within the original economic framework and gives midwives the right to keep their entitlement to time off in lieu, which they had "sold" in the second proposed agreement. However, most of the midwives have had to forgo a raise in the pay scale of DKK 300 per month. On 14 July, the midwives accepted the third proposed agreement by a large majority.
The president of the midwives' union, Merete Larsen, was satisfied with the result. She stated that the reason for the clear "yes" was a combination of the fact that some of the demands were achieved and of an acknowledgement that nothing more could be achieved in this bargaining round.
A few days before the midwives' agreement, a new agreement was concluded for 1,100 bioanalysts on 12 July, when 14 of the 20 members of the central board of the Danish bioanalysts' union (Danske Bioanalytikere) voted in favour of a proposed agreement with HS. The result of the ballot among the members was to be released on 9 August and, in the event of rejection, a dispute will start as of 12 August.
If the bioanalysts vote in favour of the proposed agreement, the 1999 public sector collective bargaining round will be complete.