{"id":42488,"date":"2025-11-06T11:45:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T10:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arbejdermuseet.dk\/?page_id=42488"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:23:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:23:18","slug":"pension-obligations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/arbejdermuseet.dk\/en\/library-archive\/the-trade-union-movement-then-and-now\/pension-obligations\/","title":{"rendered":"Pension obligations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first discussions about pension schemes in the trade union movement arose out of a desire to protect elected shop stewards and especially their widows. Working as an elected representative meant unlimited working hours seven days a week and an increased risk of death before retirement age.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Henning Grelle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pension issue is raised<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The pension issue was raised in the main organization DsF and therefore became a matter for and in the member organizations. One side saw the retirement of shop stewards as a private matter that each organization had to solve in its own way. Concern was expressed that a pension scheme would create a divide between shop stewards and members and make shop stewards a privileged class within the trade union movement. Finally, there was concern that the spread of pension schemes would weaken the possibility of improvements to public old-age pension legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other wing found it expedient to introduce a pension scheme to which both the individual and his or her organization contributed. However, there was no clear consensus on how far to go. Should it be a scheme for DsF alone or should unions and local organizations be included? Was it only for shop stewards or should permanent staff be offered a scheme? Could there be a collective scheme that included the entire trade union movement?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"F20171004106_01\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After ten years of discussions, the DsF pension fund became a reality in 1934. As the name implied, it covered shop stewards and permanent staff in the main organization.
Member unions had the option of enrolling shop stewards and staff or just one of the groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pension fund was weak from the start. The big collective idea was not possible as the trade union movement was divided. What remained was the hope that the member organizations would join in as the pension issue gained ground. This happened to some extent, but not enough. There were many reasons for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a long time, the pension issue remained a minefield in the trade union movement where caution had to be exercised. This hampered the possibility of creating greater awareness of the existence of the pension fund. As a result, the majority of the large trade unions continued with unmanageable ad hoc schemes for their shop stewards and staff until the late 1960s. Gradually, schemes were introduced in various companies or capital pension schemes in banks and savings banks. The big breakthrough came with the introduction of collective labor market pensions from 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crisis after crisis<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

DsF’s pension fund, which became Arbejderbev\u00e6gelsens Pensionskasse, is a story of crisis after crisis, many of which were self-inflicted based on the pension fund’s own self-image. When the first actuarial reports were available and showed deficits due to a lack of pension provisions, the decision was made to close to new members rather than recognize that pension provisions were necessary to meet obligations in connection with pension guarantees. Consideration of closing off new members came up from time to time and by its very nature could not lead to an increase in membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long-running case of principle on pension provisions revealed a lack of or only half-hearted willingness to fulfill the obligations of the pension legislation designed to create order in the pension fund jungle. It was obliged to issue guarantees on various pension benefits to a group of members, and the legislation had to ensure that these guarantees were respected<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DsF put its collective strength and increasing membership growth as a guarantee and wasted decades of work on obtaining an exemption to tie up amounts in pension provisions on the grounds that the trade union movement would never go bankrupt or disappear from Danish society. When they had to give in, the price was high – a division of the pension fund in 1957. The positive part of this outcome was a growing understanding that pensions entail obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"F20111026152\"
Agitation for the state pension in front of Folkets Hus in Aarhus during the election campaign in 1953. (The national pension was introduced in 1956<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The legislation’s requirement for actuarial assistance and regular periodic actuarial reports also contributed to this. Arbejderbev\u00e6gelsens Pensionskasse has been blessed with skilled and dedicated actuaries, who also had excellent connections to the Insurance Council and the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. Without professional actuarial help, several rescue attempts would have been shipwrecked and without their consistent calculations prior to membership admissions, the financial sustainability of the fund could have been jeopardized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the issue of pension provisions was resolved, it was not the beginning of a leap forward to gain more members. Instead, doubts arose about the pension fund’s raison d’\u00eatre at a time when the state pension, together with ATP, might yet become the big broad solution for future pensioners. Based on this view, the scheme in a private pension fund could only be a minor supplement, so it could “run out of time” and only secure the existing members without admitting new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though faith in the value of a pension fund – helped by the actuary – was restored relatively quickly, this was yet another example of a late start in raising awareness of the existence of the fund. Not least the adoption of 3-yearly general meetings had an inhibiting effect on initiatives in this direction. This was regrettable considering that this was an attractive pension fund with a modern and progressive attitude towards innovations in the benefit pattern to match developments in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

APK<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When the name was changed to APK in 1996, however, it was wise to stick to a reunification of the shop steward fund and the salaried employees’ fund and supplement it with an administration agreement with PensionSelskaberne. The administrative work of reunification and negotiation with PensionSelskaberne could not have been combined with an analysis of the consequences of a regular merger with another pension fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pension fund entered a new professional framework, but there was no pre-agreed strategy for a later merger. If there had been a strategy, it would at least have been pushed further into the future than it was. APK became increasingly well-consolidated towards the turn of the millennium and no one could have imagined problems of the magnitude that would characterize the first years of the 21st century. aPK had one leg in PensionSelskaberne from 1997 and there were many good financial reasons for putting both legs in PKS Pension in 2002, after which APK ceased to be an independent pension fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

APK is also the story of member democracy and member debate. The benefit pattern that PKS Pension offers today to APK’s membership is the result of member debates from the 1940s to the present day. Demands for equality, widower’s pension, spouse’s pension, lump sums and options, along with other issues, have been the driving forces behind ever better and more flexible schemes that follow needs and general developments in society. Members and member organizations have been an indispensable part of the life and work of the pension fund. APK has always been a small pension fund with the resulting opportunities for member contact and democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the historical development shows that the experience of a small pension fund should be recognized and respected by large ones. Along with finances and legislation, members help to emphasize that pensions are a commitment!<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\r\n

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The first discussions about pension schemes in the trade union movement arose out of a desire to protect elected shop stewards and especially their widows. Working as an elected representative meant unlimited working hours seven days a week and an increased risk of death before retirement age. By Henning Grelle The pension issue is raised…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":42493,"parent":41402,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-kildepakke.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-42488","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPension obligations - Arbejdermuseet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arbejdermuseet.dk\/en\/library-archive\/the-trade-union-movement-then-and-now\/pension-obligations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pension obligations - Arbejdermuseet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The first discussions about pension schemes in the trade union movement arose out of a desire to protect elected shop stewards and especially their widows. 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