Jens Jensen (1859–1928) was a Danish

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

ist and

Social Democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

politician. Jensen was a painter by profession. In 1879 he moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. In 1883 he became the president of the Painters' Trade Union, and in 1898 he was one of the main founders of the United Trade Unions. Jensen was elected president of the union federation. During his tenure Jensen took the initiative to the first international trade union coordination, the

International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres The International Secretariat of National Trade Union Centres (ISNTUC), often simply referred to as the International Secretariat and later renamed the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), was an international consultative body of trade ...

. From 1893 to 1903 Jensen served on the

Copenhagen City Council The Copenhagen City Council (Danish: ) is the municipal government of Copenhagen, Denmark, and has its seat at Copenhagen City Hall. The city council is Copenhagen's highest political authority and sets the framework for the committees' tasks. ...

. Between 1895 and 1903 he was a member of

Folketinget The Folketing ( , ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral List of legislatures by country, national legislature (parliament) of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark — Denmark proper to ...

. He later became the first Social Democratic mayor of Copenhagen.

References

1859 births 1928 deaths Danish trade union leaders 19th-century Copenhagen City Council members 20th-century mayors of places in Denmark Members of the Folketing Social Democrats (Denmark) politicians {{Denmark-mayor-stub