Opinion piece by Sara Indrio, chairperson of the Danish Artist Association and former member of FH's Executive Committee - Published in JP 9 January 2024 

In the trade union movement, we need to modernise and change the way we think and work together. We need to do this because this is where we shape the working life of the future. This work is important - also for the growing group of workers who do not fit into the 20th century organisation of the good working life.

And I'm not just referring to artists, who have historically challenged classical thinking. In general, we see a growing need to create a greater balance between work life and freedom. Technological developments and greater complexity in everyday life make time and self-determination the commodities of choice for many. Unlike most countries in the world, in Denmark you have to join together in professional communities - also known as trade unions.

Throughout history, the artistic way of working has shown how difficult it can be for the individual to achieve the combination of security and freedom, and enter into a right and obligation mindset. If you don't work as a classic, permanent employee, you risk falling outside the protection we have built up in Denmark over 150 years.

If we as a trade union movement want to make the labour market better for more people and include the needs of young people in the community, we must be able to devise solutions that provide security and flexibility for both employer and employee. Even in a future where technology, resources and living conditions are changing rapidly.

Denmark is among a minority of countries in the world where unions are allowed and free - and they have a strong negotiating mandate in shaping society's contracts. But do young people recognise themselves in these communities? Not if we look at the icy figures. At the turn of the millennium, 70 per cent of all employees in Denmark were members of a trade union. Today, only 45 per cent of young people are members of a trade union. This suggests that we should make a much greater effort than today to understand what the wishes are for the working life and communities of the future.

It is the right of young people to be included in society's established communities. Trade union membership is not a 'gift' we give young people, along with a raised index finger and a lecture on rights and duties. As a society and trade union movement, we should seize young people's motivation to get involved in shaping the future of society and working life.

A good example of where the labour movement could be there more for the next generations is when we talk about how we help atypical workers. Historically, the labour movement has held atypical workers at arm's length, asking if they're not just fake self-employed. But if we want more people to join the community, then we also need to provide solutions to atypical forms of work.

Figures from DI show that 1 in 3 young people want to decide their own working hours and become their own boss. I'd go one step further and say that for the other two thirds, job motivation has also changed since the last century. The need for work-life balance and inclusivity is now much more important than before. Some want more time with family. Others want the freedom to unplug for a year. And then there are those who want to express themselves through hobbies or simply need to be able to plan their own time and work location. This creates new challenges for all parties in the labour market - but perhaps it also creates similar opportunities. Therefore, I believe that we as a society can learn a lot from the experiences of artists - for better or worse.

On the occasion of the new year, I would like to make three wishes for how we can strengthen the professional communities of the future:

1. Protecting everyone who works - whether you're self-employed or an employee, or something in between. Basic rights such as sick pay and maternity leave should be available to everyone who works. That's not the case for artists today.

2. Rethink the 'we' that employee communities currently speak from - is it in sync with the needs and self-understanding of new generations? As established organisations, we need to challenge 'us' and 'them' thinking.

3. Binary thinking in the labour market does not reflect the new needs on both sides of the negotiating table. Employers and employees need to become more ambitious about their co-operation. Together with politicians, we need to be at the forefront of devising future solutions for a sustainable working life and society.

When I say that we as a trade union movement need to change, it stems from the experience of artists who need the strength of community. I see every day what it means to be outside the protection of labour - often as an individual in individual negotiations in a highly competitive world.

The labour market for artists is precarious and freelancing is not for everyone, although it represents a growing trend in Denmark. Just look at the increasing number of young people who choose the temporary labour market, or the number of craftsmen who have a sole proprietorship. This means that they - like artists - don't work 37 hours a week with holidays, maternity leave and all the benefits the majority enjoy. Freedom has so far been contrasted with security and safety. Why is that?

Our historical right as trade unions is that we are the progressive force in society. That's why it's important that we let go of some of the reins and more quickly capture the undercurrents that feed the labour market. Today, we in the labour movement are all too often united in protecting what we have. It's actually paradoxical that everything about new labour trends/fights such as 30-hour work weeks, 4-day work weeks, quit quitting, FIRE and reduced time with small children, or pulling the plug like Maj My for a period, are all trends that have emerged outside the movement. We need to ask ourselves if we need new ways of thinking about socio-economics. Because it can't be right that in 2023 we have top politicians talking about increasing working hours as an answer to society's challenges. It's too unambitious to draw on the economic thinking of the last century.

On top of that, we as a movement and community have agreed to halve the unemployment benefit period for graduates and reduced the rate. Now future generations will also have one less SU year. We are slowly cutting the future generations in half - as a movement, we should be the bulwark of the future.

If we as trade unions are to have the right to be here and regain relevance, we are the ones who must fight for a better future and prevent the generational theft we are witnessing these years. There is great power in the present! Just take #MeToo and the climate movement.

I believe that communities can collectively solve many of the challenges, not least those dictated by technological advances. It's not the same as a blank cheque to abdicate responsibility, but as we have done historically, we as professional communities can invest in what it takes for individuals to realise the dream of a more secure and balanced working life. But it requires us to listen a little more and hesitate a little less when artists and young people insist on innovation in the balance between freedom and work.