After the National Congress 2026 in Finansforbundet: People must remain at the centre
A focus on different member groups, AI and a union structure that is both strong centrally and close to members in their everyday working lives. Finansforbundet i Danske Bank takes stock after last week’s National Congress.
“I had absolutely no idea that we had achieved all that.”
Those were the words of Annette Sørevik, one of the delegates from Finansforbundet i Danske Bank, when she attended her first National Congress in Finansforbundet three years ago.
Her reaction was brought up again when Kirsten Ebbe Brich, chairman of Finansforbundet i Danske Bank, took to the stage at the congress on Tuesday to look back at the work of the past three years.
And while the achievements of the past three years were reviewed, there was just as much focus on the future. How should the union evolve as members’ working lives continue to change?
What is the National Congress?
- The congress is the highest decision-making body of Finansforbundet.
- The congress adopts the union’s political programme and thereby sets the direction for its political work.
- The leadership of Finansforbundet is elected at the congress.
- The congress takes place every three years.
- All districts of Finansforbundet are represented by a number of delegates based on their size. This year, there were 198 delegates.
Different members require different initiatives
One of the areas particularly highlighted by Finansforbundet i Danske Bank was the work aimed at different groups of members.
Non-Danish-speaking members, young members and members on individual contracts are among the groups that have received particular attention during the past three years.
That work must continue, Kirsten Ebbe Brich stressed.
Another topic is difficult to ignore: AI.
Danske Bank is a frontrunner in the use of AI, and this brings a number of challenges for members, who are experiencing a pace of change that can make it difficult to keep up.
“AI will naturally need to play an even bigger role in the union’s work in the years ahead. But the challenges do not stop at Danske Bank’s doorstep or at the boundaries of the financial sector. That is why we need closer cooperation with other trade unions and organisations facing the same challenges,” says Kirsten Ebbe Brich.
From the stage, Gunver Sommer from Finansforbundet i Danske Bank illustrated how far Danske Bank has come in its use of AI agents.
“Finansforbundet brings together everyone from large banks to smaller savings banks. For many of the other delegates at the congress, it was an eye-opener to see how far Danske Bank has come in using AI in everyday work. But it was certainly also an eye-opener for many to see just how many new challenges, questions and uncertainties this creates for members when tasks are handled by AI agents and AI agents, in practice, become colleagues that we work alongside in our daily jobs,” she says.
The union of the future?
As members’ working lives change, Finansforbundet must evolve too.
The union structure must be adapted for the future, including finding the best way to use skills and expertise at both central and local level.
For Finansforbundet i Danske Bank, having a strong local presence is crucial.
“When we talk to other unions, we can see that our decentralised structure is unique because it allows us to work closely with management, union representatives and members. And when we also succeed in creating great ways of working together across Finansforbundet centrally and the local branches, that is when we can really achieve results,” said Frank Fredslund Nielsen, Vice-Chairman of Finansforbundet i Danske Bank, from the stage.
5 quick questions to Kris from the delegation
A mix of debate, presentations and workshops
The congress combines debates in the main hall, where all the delegates gather, with presentations from external guests.
This year’s speakers included Morten Skov Christiansen, President of the Danish Trade Union Confederation, Lars Mørch, CEO of Jyske Bank, and Charlotte Hougaard, Chair of Forsikringsforbundet.
Some of the debates also take place in smaller groups, where delegates are mixed across branches and affiliations.
Thank you for National Congress 2026
Kirsten Ebbe Brich, Chair of Finansforbundet i Danske Bank, headed the delegation:
“I am overwhelmed by the tremendous engagement shown by our delegates. We have really made our mark on the congress, and our delegation deserves a great deal of credit for that. Thank you for all your hard work before and during the congress!”
Adoption of the political programme for 2026-2029
After two days of debate and dialogue, most of Thursday was devoted to discussing and adopting the political programme for the next three years, approving the accounts, determining membership fees and more.