Finance minister threatens lockout as school reform debate breaks down

Students could end up having an extended Easter holiday if no agreement is found between teachers and politicians

The nation's teachers have been given a month to come to an agreement with their employers on the terms of a new contract, after the finance minister, Bjarne Corydon (Socialdemokaterne), indicated today that he was ready to enforce a lockout on up to 60,000 teachers.

“I am sorry to say that negotiations are at a deadlock,” Corydon wrote in a press release. “Therefore, I have taken the serious decision to warn of a lockout for some state-employed teachers. But my hope is that an agreement will soon be found, which I think is still possible if all parties are determined to find it.”

Corydon must give teachers a four-week warning before a lockout can take effect. If no agreement can be reached before March 31, teachers will be out of work and without pay until they can agree on the terms of a new contract.

Negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement collapsed yesterday, as teachers’ union Danmarks Lærerforening (DL) and KL, the national association of local councils, continued to battle over a proposed school reform.

Both parties refuse to give ground on working hours for teachers. The proposed reform, put forward by the government last year without the support of DL, calls for teachers to spend more hours in the classroom without an increase in school budgets.

Michael Ziegler, the chief negotiator for KL, accused DL of not bringing any specific proposals to the table.

DL representative Anders Bondo Christensen, on the other hand, insisted that the negotiations werer far from deadlocked.

“It takes two to declare a negotiation collapse,” Christensen told media. “We’re not in a gridlock. Nor are we that far away from reaching an agreement.”

However, with the threat of a labour conflict now a reality teachers took to the streets today to distribute information in a bid to win parental support against the school reform.




  • Greenland, Danish life science, and the future of US-Danish relations

    Greenland, Danish life science, and the future of US-Danish relations

    The US is the biggest market for the Danish life science industry, the country’s currently most important. Despite the situation, Denmark is not alone. There is also room for compromise, and promises of such jobs and additional investments are likely to at least reduce the tensions in US-Danish trade relations.

  • The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    A team of young internationals has created an app that is helping their peers connect and build friendships in Denmark, addressing the challenges of social integration.

  • New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    The documentary Greenland’s White Gold, reveals the worth of cryolite mining in Greenland to be in the billions. Over the years its value has been undermined, despite it acting like a gold mine for the Danish state. 

  • Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    On February 14 and 15, the last terrorist attack took place in Denmark. Another episode occurred in 2022, but in that case, there was no political motive behind it

  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.