# FTF – Confederation of Professionals in Denmark

FTF – Confederation of Professionals in Denmark (Danish: FTF) was founded in 1952 and was one of the three national trade union centers, with about 80 Danish trade unions affiliated.

## History

The FTF was founded in 1952. At the time, the major Danish trade union centre was the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), which was affiliated to the Social Democratic Party. Many clerical unions objected to this affiliation, and founded the FTF as an unaffiliated rival. Over time, fierce rivalry with the LO turned to co-operation, and the federation also worked with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). By 2009, the FTF had a membership of 450,000.
From 2015, FTF engaged in negotiations with LO about a potential merger. This occurred on 1 January 2019, and the LO became part of the new Danish Trade Union Confederation (FH). However, the federation's largest affiliate, the Finance Federation, along with the Danish Physiotherapists, and the Association of Designers, voted against joining FH, and instead became independent.
The FTF was affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) and the Council of Nordic Trade Unions (NFS).

## Membership

Members of the 86 trade unions of the FTF were typically employees with a higher education and an academic degree (e.g. a bachelor's degree or a master's degree) or a first professional degree. Some members didn't have a higher education but a vocational education ("white-collar workers"). A typical FTF-member occupies a middle or upper middle position in society as regards salary and pension benefits. Many FTF-members were leaders.
FTF-members were e.g. pharmaconomists, journalists, medical laboratory scientists, teachers, bank employees, physical therapists, businesspersons, actors, dental hygienists, police officers, podiatrists, engineers, nurses, stage directors, social workers, radiographers etc.

## Affiliates

| Union | Abbreviation | Membership (2018) |
| Association of Court Employees | | 46 |
| Association of Danish Cemetery Managers | FDK | 135 |
| Association of Danish Chairpersons | | Not recorded |
| Association of Danish Inseminators | | 173 |
| Association of Designers | | |
| Association of Map and Surveying Technicians | KLF | 664 |
| Association of Musicians in the Armed Forces | DMF | 70 |
| Association of Parliamentary Servants | | 87 |
| Association of Technical and Administrative Officials | TAT | 536 |
| Association of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra | | 100 |
| Aviation and Railway Trade Federation | | Not recorded |
| BUPL | BUPL | 55,480 |
| Cabin Union Denmark | | 1,193 |
| Central Association of Armed Forces Personnel | CS | 8,286 |
| CO10 Musicians' Group | | Not recorded |
| Danish Actors' Association | DSF | 1,964 |
| Danish Association of Pharmaconomists | FF | 4,541 |
| Danish Association of Social Workers | DS | 13,913 |
| Danish Bioanalysts | | Not recorded |
| Danish Chamber Orchestra Union | | 47 |
| Danish Choir Association | | 62 |
| Danish Choral Association | | 570 |
| Danish Church Music Association | | 271 |
| Danish Customs and Tax Association | DTS | 2,592 |
| Danish Dental Hygienists | | 1,828 |
| Danish Forest and Landscape Engineers' Association | | Not recorded |
| Danish Musicians' Union | DMF | 4,883 |
| Danish Nurses' Organization | DSR | 62,770 |
| Danish Orthopaedic Engineers' Association | | 41 |
| Danish Physiotherapists | | |
| Danish Podiatrists | | 1,632 |
| Danish Police Federation | | 11,815 |
| Danish Psychomotor Therapists | DAP | 948 |
| Danish Radio Media Association | MDR | 228 |
| Danish Sextons' Association | | 570 |
| Danish Union of Teachers | DLF | 58,179 |
| Diet and Nutrition Association | KOST | 8,230 |
| DSL | DSL | 593 |
| Education Association | | 9,187 |
| FAF | FAF | 922 |
| Finance Federation | | |
| Frederiksberg Municipal Association | FKF | 441 |
| Free Schools' Teachers' Association | FSL | 10,000 |
| Gentofte Municipal Association | GKF | 392 |
| Greenland Organisation for Public Employees | AK | Not recorded |
| HI | HI | 432 |
| Insurance Association | | 7,839 |
| JID | JID | 1,208 |
| Kirkekultur.nu | | Not recorded |
| KL Staff Association | | 118 |
| Midwives' Association | 2,655 |
| National Orchestra Musicians' Joint Council | | 325 |
| Occupational Therapy Association | 8,802 |
| Organists' Association | | 581 |
| Prisons Association | FFT | 227 |
| PROSA | PROSA | 10,720 |
| Public Emergency Preparedness Association | DOBL | 321 |
| Radiographers' Council | Radiograf | 2,042 |
| Radio Telegraphists' Association of 1917 | | Not recorded |
| SAFU | SAFU | 914 |
| Traffic League | TRF | 610 |
| Tourist Guides' Association | | 251 |
| Viften | | 95 |

## Presidents

    1970: Jens Christensen
    1977: Kirsten Stallknecht
    1984: Martin Rømer
    1988: Anker Christoffersen
    2003: Bente Sorgenfrey