Minimum wage
As of 1 May 2022, the minimum wage according to our collective agreement is DKK 140,30. 1 May 2023 the minimum wage till be DKK 144,99
Wage Supplements:
According to the wage agreement there are varous supplements you can get on top of the minimum wage. You can see the collective wage agreement for the various supplements.
Youth
Young workers recieve certain % of the adult wage.
14 years 50%
15 and 16 years 75%
17 years recive full adult wage
Overtime Pay
Overtime wage for all types of work is calculated from the regular wage this way:
When the regular working hours are 07-16:
from 16-20 +35%
from 20-07 +60%
When the regular working hours are 08-17:
from 17-21 +35%
from 21-08 +60%
When the regular working hours are 09-18:
from 18-22 +35%
from 22-09 +60%
In case the lunch break is shortened, the overtime starts an hous earlier. You can see more on this below
Weekend pay
Saturday all day +65%
Sundays and holidays + 100% all day
Working in shifts
Work can be organised in shifts or around the clock. You can look this up in the collective wage agreement Article 9. Also there is a special agreement concerning the Pelagic Factories. You can read that agreement here
Seniority Bonus
A seniority bonus is provided once you have worked at the same workplase or within the same line of work for 2 years or more. The seniority bonus is as follows:
2 years +2.5%
4 years +3.5%
6 years +4.0%
8 years +5.0%
10 years +6.5%
11 years +8.0% (from 1 May 2023)
What are my rights working in shifts?
Work can be conducted in shifts. Work must be organised in two shifts, which must be eight hours each. The shifts must be conducted using teams as similar in size as possible and the teams must change shifts each week.
This means that working in shifts is accepted in average fish factories and salmon factories. This entails both factories where salmon is gutted and where salmon is cut into fillets. Each shift must be eight hours and if work is performed for a longer or shorter period of time, then the terms of the agreement, which define the length of shifts, are broken.
The next team on a shift will receive an addition of 11% of the basic wage in addition to seniority.
If someone works longer than one shift, then that person must receive overtime wage. After the first shift this is 35%, and after the second shift this is 60%, if it is after midnight.
If the work in shifts is shorter than three consecutive days, then this is considered normal work and the wage shall be accordingly, including overtime and wage for night work.
This means that if there isn’t work for more than e.g. two days and on day three there is only enough for one shift then this is not deemed to be shift work, and the remuneration must be through regular wage and overtime. Sundays and holidays do not interrupt the three-day rule, which means that shift work may begin on Friday and then continue on Monday and Tuesday.
A 24-hour notice must be given before the start of the shift work. If there is no prior notice, then 1st overtime must be paid for the day for each employee on the shift. This is to make sure that companies not announce shift work without warning.
If the shift is disrupted for some reason (technical or because of the lack of materials) leading to less than a day’s work when the work begins, the employer must pay for both shifts all day.
How are lunch and dinner hours organised? How are lunch and dinner hours organised?
Lunch hour: The agreement dictates that the lunch break is one full hour between 12 noon and 1 pm. If you are working through the lunch hour, the remuneration must be double normal hourly wage, however, on Sundays and holidays, double Sunday hourly wage applies.
Under no circumstance can there be more than 4 hours between each working session. Many factories have working hours between 8 am and 4 pm, and the Faroese Workers’ Union has given dispensations under these conditions: that the lunch break must be between 12 noon and 1 pm, and this break must be no shorter than 20 minutes without any reduction to wage. There must also be a break before lunch for no less than 10 minutes as well as a break after lunch for no less than 10 minutes. The breaks begin once the worker has entered the cafeteria. This means that the time it takes to arrive at the cafeteria is not included in the coffee break or lunch break.
When this system of work applies, any possible overtime is equally moved forward, i.e. first overtime comes in effect at 4 pm and the next overtime at 8 pm.
Dinner hour: The work foreman must always notify when the food break starts. During overtime, the notification must come the day before or no later than when the lunch hour starts. If the notification has not come by the lunch hour, and the workers go to the dinner hour, then the workers must receive an hour extra wage of overtime 1, if work commences again at 7 pm.
This means that if a notification is not given to work longer than the normal time, i.e. until 5 pm or until 4 pm, if the workers aren’t going to lunch break, and the work continues longer, then the later overtime comes into effect after two hours. If the work is for more than one hour, then the workers have the right to a dinner hour.
How is being on-call organised?
Being on call means being available to come to work if the employer sends for you. Workers who are on call from Monday to and including Friday at midnight will be remunerated with 13.73% every hour. After Friday until regular working hours on Monday morning, the worker is remunerated with 27.45% every hour.
If a worker is on call, his wage is paid in accordance with Article 8 of the agreement.
