Morning Briefing – Friday, May 17

The Copenhagen Post’s daily digest of what the Danish press is reporting

Tax authorities investigate themselves

Employees and managers of Skat, the tax authority, have been accused of using strong-arm methods and handing down unreasonable penalties and judgements. Those claims are being investigated by Skatterådet, the country's highest tax authority, who warned employees that unprofessional behaviour would be punished. – Politiken

 

Millions for more cycle superhighways

 

The country's five largest cities will soon receive more than 170 million kroner to build more and larger urban bike routes. The lion's share of the funds will go to Copenhagen, and Ayfer Baykal (Socialistisk Folkeparti), the city's deputy mayor for environmental affairs, hopes easier bike access will encourage commuters to take a bike instead of the car. – Berlingske

 

Provincial Venstre mayors support government bailout plan

 

Prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt's (Socialdemokraterne) plan to rescue thousands of people about to fall out of the unemployment (dagpenge) system has received broad support from provincial mayors from opposition party Venstre, who broke with the party brass to praise the prime ministers efforts. – Jyllands-Posten

 

Opposition party rejects school reform

 

The government's plan to add up to nine hours of alternative teaching methods in elementary schools is meeting stiff opposition from members of the Konservative party who say that they favour more traditional teaching methods and that they would not support what they called a "social experiment" with the nation's children. – Information

 

Solar adventure strangled

 

Two of the country's largest financial players, Danske Bank and AP Pension, developed a model of financing solar panels that they hoped would create opportunities for green growth. But an amendment by Martin Lidegaard, the climate and energy minister, that drastically cuts public funds for solar cell projects has rendered the private effort moot. – Berlingske Business

 

The Boss dishes up the hits

 

Bruce Springsteen, fresh off of a lukewarmly reviewed concert in Copenhagen's Parken on Tuesday, gave the 15,000 people who filled Herning's Jyske Bank Boxen what they came for last night: the hits. The seemingly ageless rocker played for nearly four hours. Reviews on the Jutland show were much better, with many giving five out of six stars. – TV2 News

 





  • How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    Being part of a trade union is a long-established norm for Danes. But many internationals do not join unions – instead enduring workers’ rights violations. Find out how joining a union could benefit you, and how to go about it.

  • Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals are overrepresented in the lowest-paid fields of agriculture, transport, cleaning, hotels and restaurants, and construction – industries that classically lack collective agreements. A new analysis from the Workers’ Union’s Business Council suggests that internationals rarely join trade unions – but if they did, it would generate better industry standards.

  • Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    The numbers are especially striking amongst the 3,477 business and economics students polled, of whom 31 percent elected Novo Nordisk as their favorite, compared with 20 percent last year.