Doing Business in Greenland - Book - Page 10
5.4 Collective agreements
A collective agreement is an
agreement between a trade union
and on the other side, an individual
company
or
an
employers'
organization.
Collective
agreements regulate the main
working conditions of all employees
in a company or a industry. The
collective
agreements
usually
contain provisions on working
hours, pay, sick leave and holidays.
Companies in Greenland are not
required to enter into a collective
agreement, nor to join an
employers' organization.
In Greenland, the main employer
organization is the Greenland
Business Association (GE). The main
trade
unions
are
Sulinermik
Inuussutissarsiuteqartut Kattuffiat
(SIK) and Atorfillit Kattuffiat (AK).
5.5 The Working Environment
Act
The Working Environment Act for
Greenland (Act No. 1048 of 26
October 2005) provides for
statutory requirements to the
working environment.
The Danish Working Environment
Authority
(WEA)
oversees
compliance with the regulations in
Greenland (onshore).
The Act aims at preventing
accidents and diseases at the
workplace and at protecting
children and young persons on the
labour market through special
rules.
These requirements may be
deviated from by agreement with
the relevant workers’ organization,
subject to certain limitations. Also,
the Minister of Employment may
approve deviations to the minimum
requirements in relation to certain
specific activities, among other
things mineral resource activities. .
The main areas of the regulation
are performance of the work,
design of the workplace, technical
equipment,
substances
and
materials, rest periods, and minors.
5.5.1 Requirements to rest
periods
In the related legislation on rest
periods in Greenland (executive
order No. 32 of 23 Jan 2006)
minimum requirements for rest
periods are stipulated. Working
hours must be organized in a way
to allow a rest period of at least 11
consecutive hours every period of
24 hours, and a weekly day off for
every 7 days.
Charlotte Pedersen
Partner, attorney-at-law
cp@nuna-law.gl
Helen Kibsgaard
Partner, attorney-at-law
hk@nuna-law.gl
