The labor union DM (Dansk Magisterforening) has leveled sharp criticism against the management of the art museum Arken for their handling of the work environment and their lack of willingness to negotiate a collective agreement with the academic staff. According to DM, the museum’s management exhibits a “hostile and threatening” behavior towards employees who have spoken critically about the management’s methods. This accusation comes in the wake of Arken’s refusal to negotiate a collective agreement for its academic employees, which, according to Anders Dalsager, chairman of the cultural employees in DM, is a clear violation of the Danish labor market model. “It is unheard of that a publicly supported museum like Arken does not want to ensure proper working conditions for its employees,” says Dalsager.
Marie Nipper, who took on the role of director of Arken in 2022, denies the allegations of threatening behavior and emphasizes that the museum is in the process of negotiating collective agreements for other groups of employees, including those in the café and the shop. She calls for specific examples of the alleged threatening behavior referred to by the labor union. Politiken has obtained insight into a number of internal documents and emails indicating an escalating conflict between the museum’s management and DM. These documents suggest that there have been several instances where employees’ concerns have been met with resistance from the management.
Arken, which receives around 30 million Danish kroner in state subsidies annually, has previously been in the media spotlight for issues regarding the work environment and financial challenges. In August 2022, Politiken reported that the museum had received three notices from the Danish Working Environment Authority within a period of three months. The case of Arken and its management continues to unfold, and it is still unclear how it will impact the museum’s future and the relationship between the management and the employees.