The Danish Tobacco Workers' Union ( da, Tobaksarbejder Forbund i Danmark) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

representing cigar and cigarette makers in Denmark. Cigar makers in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

formed the Enigheden union in 1871, the country's first socialist trade union. On 21 August 1887, it merged with eleven other local unions, to form the Danish Tobacco Workers' Union. One of its early members was

Thorvald Stauning Thorvald August Marinus Stauning (; 26 October 1873 in Copenhagen – 3 May 1942) was the first social democratic Prime Minister of Denmark. He served as Prime Minister from 1924 to 1926 and again from 1929 until his death in 1942. Under Stauni ...

, who later served as Prime Minister of Denmark. While women were not initially admitted to the union, this soon changed, and by 1908, a majority of union members were women. The union affiliated to the

Danish Confederation of Trade Unions LO, The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (Danish: ''LO, Landsorganisationen i Danmark'' or simply ''LO'') was founded in 1898 and was an umbrella organisation (the largest of the three national trade union centers in Denmark) for 18 Danish tra ...

and the

International Federation of Tobacco Workers The International Federation of Tobacco Workers (IFTW) was a global union federation bringing together unions representing workers involved in growing, processing or selling tobacco. History The idea of an international federation of tobacco worker ...

. Membership peaked after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

at 10,000, but then declined in line with employment in the industry. In 1963, Ella Jensen was elected as the union's president, the first woman to lead a Danish union which men could join. By 1980, membership was little more than 2,000, and the union merged with the Bakery, Pastry and Mill Workers' Union, the

Danish Union of Slaughterhouse Workers The Danish Union of Slaughterhouse Workers ( da, Dansk Slagteriarbejderforbund, DSA) was a trade union representing workers in the meat industry in Denmark. The union was founded in 1895, and soon affiliated to the Danish Confederation of Trade Un ...

, and the Confectionery and Chocolate Workers' Union, to form the Danish Food and Allied Workers' Union.{{cite web , title=Fødevareforbundet NNF , url=https://akassefinder.dk/fagforeninger/foedevareforbundet-nnf/ , website=Akassefinder.dk , accessdate=7 February 2020

Presidents

:Edmund Olsen :1938:

Dirk Nak Dirk Nak (1884 or 1885 – 2 May 1967) was a Dutch trade union leader, active in Denmark. Born in the Netherlands, Nak became a cigar maker. In 1913, he moved to Denmark, where he carried on in the same trade, joining the Danish Tobacco Workers ...

:1955: Marinus Christensen :1963: Ella Jensen :1975:

References

Tobacco industry trade unions Trade unions in Denmark Trade unions established in 1887 Trade unions disestablished in 1980