Morning Briefing – Friday, June 21

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

Banks go unmonitored for three years

A number of the nation’s banks could be on the verge of bankruptcy without anyone being aware that they are facing problems. Over one fifth of banks have not had a visit from financial watchdogs, Finanstilsynet, in over three years.  – Politiken

IT security feeble

Leaders from Europol and PET, the secret police, warned that Denmark’s IT security is weak when it comes to handling resident's personal information. The evaluation comes on the heels of the biggest hacker attack in Danish history, where IT firm CSC and the police discovered a breech to their systems that had previously gone undetected for over 10 months. – Berlingske

Better integration would strengthen labour market

Ole Bonbo Christensen (Socialdemokraterne), the head of the task force established by the government to strengthen integration, said that it is a waste of human and economic resources that the integration of immigrants and refugees into the labour market is so inefficient. Christensen argued that the labour force would increase by 50,000 people if immigrants were brought online more quickly. – Jyllands-Posten

Special need students doing better

Students with special needs that need to be met in order for them to be able to participate in regular classroom instruction are doing better. According to a report from the Children and Education Ministry, the percentage of special needs students included in traditional classrooms rose from 93.1 percent in 2010 to 94.9 percent this year in 12 selected councils. – Information

Homeless and smokeless

A new initiative by the Health Ministry will promote a smoke-free environment at the nation’s homeless shelters. The ministry will unveil five recommendations to inspire shelters to motivate drug abusers, alcoholics and other shelter residents to give up smoking. While only an average of 17 percent of the nation smokes, 90 percent of those considered vulnerable smoke, and 70 percent of them light up every day. – Kristeligt Dagblad

The future's so bright …

The recession is beginning to slip to the back of the minds of the majority of Danes. Two out of three expect the crisis is waning and there are good years just around the corner. A survey showed that 64 percent believe there are five good years just ahead, while only 25 percent think that the economic downturn will continue. –Børsen

Read more: Surprising consumer confidence rebound

Vandborg in surprise win

Brian Vandborg surprisingly won the Danish championship in cycling time trials yesterday in Vordingborg, beating 2011 winner Rasmus Quaade by just six seconds. Vandborg, who was also chosen to represent team Cannondale for the Tour de France on Wednesday, rode the 39.66 kilometres in 48.44 minutes. – Cykelmagasinet





  • 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.