Trade union leader in Denmark blamed for inappropriate behaviour

Several men who have been associated with Denmark’s largest trade union owe the chairman of the board for transgressive behavior in several cases. Lizette Risgaard apologizes.

Danske Ekstra Bladet and Berlingske write that they have spoken to eight men who tell of such behavior from the union leader in several cases.

According to the newspapers, the men tell of episodes both in the context of work and in parties, where they are said to have been touched, patted or grabbed on the bottom.

Risgaards is chairman of FH, The main organization of the trade union movement. The main organization of the trade union movement.Fagbèvègesens Hovedorganisation (FH) was founded in 2018 after the National Organization in Denmark (LO) merged with the second largest main organisation, FTF. It consists of 79 trade unions with a total of 1.4 million members. Denmark’s answer to LO, with 1.4 million members.

Several of the men are said to have been members of the trade union when the episodes took place.

Position of power and gender perspective

One of the men, who are all anonymous, says that he has not felt sexually harassed and that he did not physically fear Risgaard, but that her position makes it difficult for someone who is a subordinate, and a man, to take legal action against her.

He tells the newspaper that the behavior weakens the trade union’s fight against sexism and points out that it would without doubt be a question of transgressive behavior if the FH leader had been a 60-year-old man who did the same to a 20-year-old woman.

– Then there would have been no doubt about how crazy it was, he says to the newspaper.

Two experts the media have spoken to say they consider the case a possible abuse of power and sexual harassment.

Sorry on Facebook

The two newspapers write that Risgaard has been presented with the debtors, including the names of the men, but that she does not want to be interviewed.

On the other hand, the chairman has come up with an answer on Facebook, where she writes that she is very sad and that this was never her intention.

– I think basically that it is always the offended party who defines when someone has crossed the line. Therefore, I will make an unreserved apology [ …] Sorry!, she writes and continues:

– I acted unprofessionally as a manager. And I have not been at all aware of my own position and the power that naturally comes with it. But that’s no excuse!

She also writes that the behavior has been wrong and is something that must be changed immediately.

Friday morning, an emergency meeting of FH’s executive board has been called, where Risgaard will have to explain himself, writes Ekstra Bladet.

Close dancing and butt roof

The newspaper mentions several cases, where especially young men tell about what they describe as unpleasant or unprofessional behaviour.

The newspaper mentions, among other things, an episode in 2016, where one of the young men was met by a “clearly annoyed” FH manager, because the person concerned did not want to dance closely with her during a Christmas breakfast.

The same man also tells of having been slapped on the bottom during a dinner, connected to “Lønmodtagernes Topmøde”, with over 100 people present.

– It’s my top boss, after all. I can’t confront her about it, he says to the newspaper about the incident.

They have also spoken to a witness who confirms the incident, and says that the next day she raised it with the deputy head of the organisation.

– I live and work for the trade union movement, but when this happens, a large part of the legitimacy disappears. As a trade union, we cannot talk about wage workers having to get better, when you treat your own people so badly, says one of the men to the newspaper.