The leader of Denmark’s main trade union confederation, Lizette Risgaard, announced Sunday that she is resigning after allegations from several young men who denounced touching and inappropriate behavior came to light.
The 62-year-old president of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (FH) said in a Facebook post that “the information that has been disseminated by various sources” has become an obstacle to the union struggle that has always been for her. “on the front page”.
“That is why I have decided to resign as president of FH. It has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” she concluded.
Even so, Risgaard invited not to make “improvised judgments based on newspaper articles, rumors, public opinion or social networks”, despite the fact that, in a previous statement, he had admitted in part to the touching and had apologized for they.
The scandal erupted last Thursday, when various media outlets published allegations from men in his work environment who claimed that for years Risgaard had unwantedly touched them and had even grabbed their behinds.
“For example, I kept my command on their back too long when I hugged them, I touched their butts and I danced too close to them,” the union leader acknowledged after two media outlets published information about a dozen cases.
After the scandal broke out, the FH convened a crisis cabinet where the decision was made to investigate internally the conduct of Risgaard, who nevertheless initially wanted to continue in his position, until criticism from various unions part of the confederation forced it to change position and resign from his post.
Considered one of the most powerful women in Denmark, Risgaard had headed the FH, which represents approximately 1.3 million public and private sector workers, since 2015.
