Morning Briefing – Wednesday, September 18

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

Sep 18, 2013

FC Copenhagen secures Champions League point
FC Copenhagen played to a surprise 1-1 draw against Italy’s Juventus in the first round of Champion League group play last night. Playing at home, FC Copenhagen was kept in the match by a standout performance by goaltender Johan Wiland, who made a number of superb saves. Wiland was kept busy by Juventus’ 21 shots on goal and is credited with keeping FCK in the match during a second half in which they were outclassed by the visitors.

Job cuts likely after slaughterhouse employees turn down wage deal
Meatpacker Danish Crown says it may cut as many as 1,000 jobs after the company’s employees yesterday rejected an offer to reduce wages in return for a promise by the management not to cut jobs for the next four years. Sixty percent of the company’s 6,000 employees turned down the offer that would have seen Danish Crown invest the savings in the domestic pig farming industry as a way to ensure there were animals to process. Company executives pointed out that German slaughterhouse workers performing the same job receive half the wages that Danish employees do. Slaughterhouse employees said it was impossible for Danes to compete with foreign wages and urged the company to focus on high-quality products. – Politiken

Meatpackers look to state for help
Pig farmers and unions are looking to the government to come up with initiatives that can make the industry more productive. Cabinet members had supported Danish Crown’s offer of reduced wages in exchange for a four-year job guarantee. Employees rejected that plan yesterday, but now that lawmakers have recognised there is a problem, labour leaders want them to do something. Henrik Sass Larsen (Socialdemokraterne), the business and growth minister, said he was disappointed by the employees’ decision, but said he would “respect” it. – Erhverv & Økonomi

Headteachers to be held responsible for school performance
Copenhagen mayor Frank Jensen (Socialdemokreterne) has opened up his campaign for re-election with a pledge to fire headteachers whose schools are not performing well enough. Copenhagen students perform below the national average, and Jensen said the city would keep an eye on individual schools’ academic levels and teacher absence rates as a way to make sure performance improved. A spokesman for headteachers said Jensen’s proposal displayed a lack of trust. – DR Nyheder

Criticism of hospital fees
Despite political pledges to the contrary, the number of service fees hospitals charge has grown in recent years. Lawmakers agree that all essential hospital services should be free, but a survey of hospitals run by the Central Jutland Regional Council found fees being charged for things like printing an ultrasound picture (25 kroner), food for fathers spending the night with spouses who have just given birth (213 kroner) and placing the bodies of deceased patients in a coffin (320 kroner). Patient advocacy groups said certain services, such as coffee for hospital visitors, should cost, but criticised the practise of charging for basic services. – Berlingske

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