Morning Briefing – Monday, September 2

The Copenhagen Post’s daily round-up of the front pages and other major Danish news stories

Airport security personnel on strike this morning
Security personnel at Copenhagen Airport are on strike this morning, which according to TV2 News meant that as of 7am, no passengers were making it through security checkpoints. The strike began shortly after 6am and is related to the employees' collective bargaining agreement. A TV2 News reporter on the scene said that queues where up to 200 metres long and although departing passengers are still able to check in for their flights, they can not come any further into the airport due to the conflict. Airport officials said that they were in dialogue with the striking employees and advised those travellers scheduled to depart Copenhagen today to head to the airport as planned. An April survey by the aviation research organisation Skytrax ranked Copenhagen Airport as having the best airport security in the world. Today's security strike follows a luggage handlers' strike earlier this summer. – TV2 News

READ MORE: Airport luggage mess now sorted out

Seven-fold increase in personal data releases
The number of incidents in which people’s CPR numbers are accidentally placed on publicly accessible computer networks is on the rise. According to Datatilsynet, the state data protection agency, in 2008 there were ten such instances reported. This year it expects over 70, with each unintended release of information potentially including thousands of personal identification numbers. In the past week alone Datatilsynet reacted to reports that parliament, the City Council and nature agency Naturstyrelsen had all unintentionally made CPR numbers public. The security concern is not limited to computer data. Pictures indicate that over the past month Herlev Hospital had over 1,000 patient medical records left in locations accessible to unauthorised individuals. CPR numbers can be used to obtain information about an individual, obtain loans or set up bank accounts. – Jyllands-Posten 

READ MORE: Social security prank likely to draw fine

Execs: employees “not that great”
Danes are not nearly as hard-working as they think they are, according to a survey that asked executives to rate employees in the 14 categories identified by the World Economic Forum as the most important for competitiveness. In eleven of the categories, employees rated themselves higher than their bosses did. Employees and their bosses disagreed most when it came to ambition and willingness to work hard. One a scale from one to ten, employees rated themselves a seven when it came to ambition, while executives gave them a mark of 5.9. When looking at how hard they thought they worked, employees said they were a 6.8, while executives rated them 5.9. “The Danish attitude is that everything will work out just fine,” said Niels B Christiansen, the president and CEO of Danfoss. “That just makes the whole process of accepting that they aren’t really that great anymore so drawn out.” – Børsen 

READ MORE: Report: Danish competitiveness dropping

Youth homes: okay to use force
Using force is acceptable in some situations, says the head of the national organisation of youth homes. “Sometimes, you need to be forceful with the worst misbehaving young people who have the biggest problems,” said Geert Jørgensen. Jørgensen pointed out, however, that there is a difference between using force and being violent with children. His comments came a day before 12 employees of the Solhaven youth home were set to begin trial today for the violent abuse of residents, many of whom had psychological problems and who ended at Solhaven after other homes were unable to care for them. Child advocacy groups have labelled the employees’ behaviour as “torture”. – DR Nyheder

Yonder comes the train plan
The government is ready to spend 27.5 billion kroner on rail service improvements it predicts will save commuters over nine million transport hours a year by 2025. The Transport Ministry plan calls for railways to be electrified, new lines to be built and reduced travel times between major cities. The improvements would be funded by proceeds from the sale of oil. The Transport Ministry expects the initiatives will have an 800 million kroner annual economic benefit due to improved mobility. – Berlingske 

READ MORE: Government reveals massive infrastructure plans

Half of births “complicated”
Improved medical techniques that make it possible for a greater number of women to have children is responsible for an increase in the number of births that end in complications. Half of all births today involve caesarean sections, induced labour or medical treatment after the child has been born. In 1997, 37 percent of births ended in complications. Doctors say that in addition to the potential effects on children, complicated births can cost twice as much as births that do not require extra care. – Politiken

READ MORE: Too little, too late, and too busy for babies





  • 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.