Photo credit: NNF
The transnational meat processor Danish Crown recently announced the layoff of 350 workers from two processing plants in Denmark. This is despite a 2021 agreement ratified by the Danish parliament which enables Danish agri-food production to plan and develop in a green direction without losing jobs in the sector. The agreement followed many months of lobbying and discussions involving Arla Foods, Danish Crown, the Danish Agriculture and Food Council and IUF affiliates as well as other interested parties.
- IUF affiliate NNF will work with Danish Crown to find alternative employment for laid off workers but is publicly asking how this could happen with all the support schemes in place for the agriculture sector; this support must also translate into good workplaces and secure employment
- NNF is concerned that public trust in green transition will erode if the agri-food business continues to damage the environment and destroy decent jobs
- Solutions to environmental degradation and climate instability must be found through negotiating just transition and secure employment and not with unilateral announcements of layoffs. The current approach of many food and beverage employers to restructure and terminate increases social dislocation and resistance to change
Jim Jensen, NNF Vice President, stated, “While farmers get political and financial support to keep their working life going, butchery workers have to pack away their knives and hope they can continue their working life elsewhere.”
