FOA - trade union (fagforening) and unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse)

There are many good reasons for becoming a member, both during and after your training. And of course, the more of us there are in FOA, the greater are the opportunities for improving conditions for everyone.

Here is why you should become a member of FOA:

1. Only FOA can negotiate your salary and ensure that your training and working conditions are developed and improved.
   
   
2. FOA helps you to receive a good training and trainee period, so you avoid unfair work demands, unsatisfactory trainee supervision or uncertainty over rules. 
   
   
3. FOA ensures you have proper working conditions and everyday security. So you always have professional backing that you can trust and go to for support.  
   
   
4. FOA provides a professional network where you can meet others and share your specialist knowledge, questions and experience. In some branches there are also local trainee clubs.
   
   
5.  FOA is the third largest trade union in Denmark, organizing approximately 163,000 members primarily in the public sectors. But we also organize privatized employees in the public sector.

FOAs A-kasse is an unemployment insurance fund for people engaged in a public sector service profession. Our most important task is to provide our members with unemployment benefit in case of job loss - and to offer job search support.

We can help you find your next job or education

We specialize in 4 job areas: Social & Health, Childcare & Education (pedagogical), Catering & Cleaning and Technical & Maintenance. Whether you are currently working, studying or in between jobs we offer our members professional expertise and guidance on effective job search and unemployment regulations.

As a member of FOAs A-kasse you have access to a variety of tools and services, e.g.,

• ‘FOA Jobmatch’ - our job portal, that contains vacant job positions within our 4 job areas
• Inspire you on how to find your next job or write your job application & cv
• Guidance on courses and educations
• Webinars and job cafés for job seekers
• A variety of subject-based pamphlets to give you an easy overview and information
• We are always available for a talk – you can either call (every weekday from 8 am og 6 pm on 4697 3777), write in our chat or in Min post, meet us online on Teams or visit one of our 5 regional offices every weekday from 9 am og 4 pm. 

Go to Min post

Read more here

The price depends upon whether you choose to

• join the trade union (in Danish: fagforening) and/or

• join the unemployment insurance fund (in Danish: a-kasse) and/or whether you pay to an early-retirement scheme (in Danish: efterlønsordningen).

Find all membership dues (in Danish)

If you are in job training/studying, you pay a reduced price.

You can call us at 80 20 20 30 if you want to know more or join as a member - the call is free of charge.

FOA is a trade union with 163,000 members and 30 branches around the country in addition to the head office in Copenhagen.

Our members are engaged in a variety of public sector services, from fire, public transport and childcare, to nursing and caring services for the elderly, including food preparation and cleaning work.

Our members include:

• Social and health care workers

• Social and health care assistants

• Day care workers

• Cleaning staff

• Kindergarten assistants

• Nursery school assistants 

Our members work country-wide for local authorities, counties and the state.

 

FOA is divided in three sectors:

• Social and Health

  This sector consists primarily from the following professional and vocational groups:

  • Handicap and home helpers
  • Head orderlies/hospital porters, hospital functionaries at county hospitals and institutions
  • Hospital orderlies/porters
  • Hospital workshop foremen and assistents
  • Management and middle management in public eldercare
  • Neurophysiology aides
  • Nursing home aides
  • Nurses aides
  • Occupational Therapist aides
  • Psychiatric nursing aides
  • Social and health service aides
  • Social and health service helpers
  • Supervisory assistants
• Childcare / Education

  This sector consists primarily of the following professional groups:

  • Childcare/Childcare Education consultants
  • Daycare Assistants
  • Daycare Placement Officers
  • Daycare Teachers supervising and advising Childminders
  • Playground staff
  • Professional carers
  • Qualified Daycare Teachers and daycare management staff in Copenhagen County-run daycare centres
  • Registered Childminders and Home Childminders
  • Staff at daycare and residential care facilities
• Catering, Cleaning, Technical, Maintenance and Emergency Management

  This sector consists mainly of the following professional and vocational groups:

  • Assistant supervisors
  • Attendants at public conveniences
  • Cafeteria/canteen managers
  • Kitchen and scullery workers
  • Staff at publicly owned high schools and private institutions
  • Various types of cleaning personnel at various public institutions, including nursing homes and hospitals
  • Young people employed as domestic helpers

  • Bus drivers for county-run or county-supervised bus services in certain counties
  • City school attendants, custodians/janitors
  • County attendants, custodians/caretakers/janitors at homes for the elderly
  • County school attendants, assistant attendants, deputy attendants
  • County roadmenders, bridge personnel, bridgemasters, machine operators, stream/creek caretakers
  • Ferry personnel, harbour attendants, shipmasters
  • Fire service staff
  • Inspectors at Copenhagen County athletic facilities
  • Messengers at town and city halls, county seats, hospitals and larger public institutions
  • Supervisory and management staff at county-owned facilities
  • Various skilled and unskilled wage earners, such as skilled craftsmen and tradesmen at publicly run institutions, especially in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Counties, meter readers, parking attendants
  • Various technical service and workers and supervisors at publicly owned bathing and athletic facilities, nursing home custodians/janitors, town and city hall and library attendants, library bus drivers

   

Den Nordiske Offentlige Faglige Samarbejdsorganisation - NOFS

(the Nordic Public Services Cooperative Organisation). By its membership in NOFS, FOA is a member of:

Public Services International (PSI)

Known as ISKA in the Nordic countries - the international organization of employees in local and state government. Its objective is to promote cooperation between public employees in international bodies and safeguard their interests.

Public Services International (PSI)

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

This organization represents over 9 million public employees in 48 trade unions in Europe, and is at the same time a section of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)

Nordic Municipal Workers' Federation (KNS)

The Nordic organization for cooperation between employees in local government. The municipal workers' unions in Finland, Sweden and Norway are also members of KNS.