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At 7.15 yesterday morning the President of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Harald Borsting, stepped through the doors of RIVAL in Svejstrup.
The President of the Confederation had never seen or heard about the company before.
By the time he left the plant some one and a half hours later, however, he was happy and very pleased.
“People are happy at RIVAL. They were pleased to talk to us, and they appear to be very relaxed and focused,” says Harald Borsting, who spends a couple of days every month visiting companies around the country.
“You quickly get a feeling for whether staff are happy or not. It’s not something you need to spend a lot of time on," explains Harald Borsting.
Recommended
Palle Langkjaer, Division Chairman of the Danish Metalworkers' Union in Skanderborg, recommended RIVAL as a company worth a visit.
“RIVAL is an exciting company which is doing very well. It is constantly developing and has a good reputation in union circles. We get the impression that staff are treated well, and that they feel very much as if they are a part of the company," says Palle Langkjaer.
At the same time, he was also pleased that staff had found a new shop steward. Previously, only a spokesperson had been elected, something the Division Chairman was not happy about.
“There haven’t been any problems at RIVAL, but it is still a good idea to formalise the working relationship in case any problems should ever arise," explains Palle Langkjaer.
The President was not, however, worried about the cooperative relationship. He was more interested in hearing whether staff stay with the company for many years, and whether it was easy to find new staff when required.
<<There is a strong cooperative relationship and people are happy to work together to solve the tasks at hand.>>
Thorough briefing
Henrik Holvad, Managing Director at RIVAL, welcomed the visiting delegation from the Confederation of Trade Unions. Using audiovisual equipment, he gave the guests a thorough briefing prior to their tour of the company.
RIVAL has made perfection and precision its trademarks, and the visitors listened carefully and took another sip of their coffee as the Managing Director told them that RIVAL aims for an annual growth rate of 25 per cent. At the moment, the annual turnover is almost DKK 50 million, while the number of employees has reached 49.
The Managing Director did, however, have to admit that even RIVAL has been affected by the financial crisis. Volvo, for instance, has reduced its orders.
President takes a sofa ride
A good sense of humour and the odd whimsical invention have always contributed to the great atmosphere at RIVAL.
The company is particularly proud of its self-propelled sofa, created by employee Glenn Scharling in his spare time. Needless to say, it was ready and waiting in front of the door when Harald Borsting was through with his tour of the main building and about to enter the newly constructed production facilities which opened a month ago.
Harald Borsting was clearly puzzled when he saw the sofa parked outside the main entrance. He willingly agreed to take a seat however, and laughed loudly when Glenn Scharling revved the sofa’s engine. Two other members of the delegation also jumped on board before the sofa accelerated and dashed across the courtyard and onto the new factory floor, where it is used on a daily basis.
An exciting visit
“It’s been good to see RIVAL. There is a strong cooperative relationship and people are happy to work together to solve the tasks at hand. It’s an approach we firmly support, and one that means money in our members’ back pockets,” says Harald Borsting, who believes workplace visits are vital.
“We can’t just sit around the office, pontificating. We need to get out there on the shop floor so we can show our members that we take them seriously and that we respect them,” explains the President of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions.
Satisfaction at RIVAL
The new shop steward, Thomas Glistrup Nielsen, was also pleased about Harald Borsting’s visit.
“It’s a good idea for him to visit companies around the country. It benefits all parties, and it’s a bonus for the company,” says Thomas Glistrup Nielsen, who received a personal thank you from the President before the Secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Willy Stig Andersen, announced at 8.40 sharp that they were leaving for their next visit, this time to AVK in Galten.
Following their departure, Henrik Holvad brought together the staff, who had been present throughout the visit, and all were happy with the way things had gone.
“This has been a day we’ll remember for a long time. Harald Borsting seemed very interested, and it was good to be able to give him an insight into our corporate culture," says Henrik Holvad.
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