Danish Women Workers' Union

The Danish Women Workers' Union (Danish: Kvindeligt Arbejderforbund i Danmark, KAD) was a general union representing women working in what were perceived to be lower-skilled jobs, in Denmark.

The first union for women in Denmark was founded in 1885, the "Women Workers' Union" (KAF). It initially represented cleaners and laundry workers, but from 1890 also admitted women working in factories. From 1892, it was led by Olivia Nielsen, and it expanded from Copenhagen into other cities. By 1900, it had about 1,000 members, and this led it to establish a new, national union, the "Danish Women Workers' Union", in 1901.[1][2]

The union affiliated to the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), and by 1920, it organised about 20% of the women in the trade union movement.[3] By 1997, it had 88,232 members, of whom 70% worked in the private sector. About half its members worked in production, 20% in community services, 20% in private services, and the remainder in a wide variety of sectors.[4]

At the end of 2004, the union merged with the Danish General Workers' Union, to form the United Federation of Danish Workers.[5]

Presidents
Period as chair Name Image Birth–Death
1901–1910 Olivia Nielsen 1852–1910
1910 Gudrun Bodø 1883–unknown
1910–1923 Sofie Rasmussen 1882–unknown
1923–1937 Alvilda Andersen 1875–1937
1937–1947 Fanny Jensen 1890–1969
1948–1971 Edith Olsen 1901–1996
1971–1978 Toni Grøn 1912–1995
1978–1985 Ruth Løjbert 1927–1991
1985–2005 Lillian Knudsen 1945–

References
  1. Sandvad, Karin. "Olivia Nielsen (1852 - 1910)" (in Danish). Kvinfo. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  2. Sandvad, Karin. "Olivia Nielsen". kvinfo. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  3. Wolthers, Anette (2016). The Danish Trade Union Movement, Equality and Diversity (PDF). FIU-Equality. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  4. Ebbinghaus, Bernhard; Visser, Jelle (2000). Trade Unions in Western Europe Since 1945. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 178. ISBN 0333771125.
  5. ICTUR; et al., eds. (2005). Trade Unions of the World (6th ed.). London, UK: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 0-9543811-5-7.
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