Connecting members and challenging decisions – strongly skilled union representatives set the agenda

’In Finansforbundet in Nordea, the local union representatives are a key part of the community’, president Dorrit Brandt and vice president Mette Balck Mejlby declare on the network of local fireballs, helping members in small and big issues in their working life. ‘2022 showed many examples on how the union representatives are indispensable as well as putting their fingerprints on the agenda towards Nordea’.

Up until the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 24 March, you can read a series of articles, describing some of the many initiatives and events where Finansforbundet in Nordea (FiN) has put its fingerprint in the previous year. Read the first article about involvement of members here. This second article is focusing on the role and influence from the union representatives.

Dialogue leads to followership and creates value

Dialogue and a strong community was in the centre when the senior union representatives (SUR) met in June 2022. ‘The work in FiN needs to be important to more members than those of us being trusted representatives – that is why we discussed how to create even more followership to make sure that the members feel that we take on the tasks, important to them’, declares Mette Balck Mejlby.

When the SUR are driving local tasks on behalf of Finansforbundet in Nordea, they need to feel sure being part of a strong network, supporting and backing up with good ideas and others to lean on. ‘The seminar underlined that we have a strong group of SUR who can and will set the agenda to their local management as well as meeting Nordea centrally – and who develop their local teams to be able to represent the members in the very best way’, Dorrit Brandt says. ‘At the same time, the SUR’s are an invaluable source to us in the board when it comes to keeping the finger on the pulse’.

Not only FOR – but WITH the members

Keeping the finger on the pulse is what working environment as well as union representatives have. ‘They watch and hear about the daily issues that really matter – and how central decisions are rolled out locally. This is why we are really delighted when meeting the whole group at the yearly seminar for all trusted employees, enabling us to work on how to make a difference together’, says Mette Balck Mejlby.

The 2022 edition of the webinar focused especially on how the trusted employees can involve the members even more – not only making efforts FOR the members, but WITH them. ‘We had some very inspiring days with bubbling new ideas on how to strengthen the community. At the debate with Nordea’s Danish management (represented by Sanne Fredenslund, Head of Private Banking DK, and Mads Skovlund, Head of Personal Banking DK) there was challenging questions and comments. I am not in doubt at all that Sanne and Mads went home with a lot to reflect on’, tells Dorrit Brandt.

Strong and close relations

The union representatives are bound in teams under their business areas. At the seminar for trusted employees we heard several good examples on what the teams can succeed with locally, as long as the goals and relations are in place.

’Many might think of trusted employees as those only focusing on problems and challenges. That is not at all the case. The union representatives in Business Banking showed at the seminar some very good and concrete examples on how they found energy in pointing out solutions. It was really inspiring and something I hope we will see even more of’, Mette Balck Mejlby concludes.

Join us!

These – and other – issues will be even more explained when we meet at the AGM in Finansforbundet in Nordea on 24 March.

Read more about the possibilities at finansforbundet.dk/agm2023 - and sign up here.