Morning Briefing – Thursday, October 3

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

No recourse for privately insured
People with employer-paid health insurance cannot seek compensation for malpractice should they experience problems with treatment. The revelation comes after woman on Funen had her request for compensation rejected on the grounds that the treatment she was complaining over had been paid for by her employer, in this case a local council. The woman is now seeking to have that decision overturned in court. The outcome could have a wide-ranging impact. During the 2000s, large numbers of people signed up for private health insurance through their employers as a form of benefit. One insurance company, Falck Healthcare, has agreements with 3,000 firms. – Jyllands- Posten

SEE RELATED: Size a factor in maternity ward complaints

Taxing the heat
Support for the government’s bill to promote renewable energy is drying up due to concerns that it places a tax on biomass that can be used as fuel. People who buy material such as wood and straw for non-fuel purposes can apply to have the tax refunded, but only if the amount of the tax paid exceeds 5,000 kroner, and if they can prove it was not used as fuel. The tax was expected to bring in 2.8 billion kroner annually, and was to be earmarked to fund development of renewable energy sources. – Berlingske

SEE RELATED: Green energy growth a concern

Pay or we’ll stay
Residents in the Vanløse district tired of having a motorcycle gang living in their midst have been given an offer by the group: pay us 500,000 kroner and we’ll move out. The club, a chapter of the Bandidos gang, said the money would cover the amount it has used on renovation since moving into a house in the residential neighbourhood earlier this year. Gang experts said this was the first time they had encountered such an incident. Lawmakers are calling on the Justice Ministry to ask whether it violates any laws. – DR Nyheder

SEE RELATED: Biker gangs call a truce

Old standards
Ten days after he replaced Ejvind Kolding as the head of Denmark’s largest bank, Thomas Borgen says he is ready to undo the changes made by his predecessor. Under Kolding, Danske Bank, as part of its 'New Standards' campaign, had begun a process of closing branches in order to meet reduced demand for face-to-face customer service. Borgen said the bank’s customers had accepted that some branches needed to be closed, but admitted the process had taken place too quickly. – Berlingske Business

SEE RELATED: Bye-bye executive privilege, hello meals with the masses

Banking on conventional farming
Organic farmers say they are being pressured by banks to convert their activities and start growing conventional crops. In order to convince farmers to convert, banks have reportedly forced them to draw up budgets that show how profitable they would be if they converted. Dairy producers’ groups and organic farming associations said they have had multiple complaints about the practice. Organic farmers admitted they were less liquid than conventional farmers, but said their operations were often more profitable. – Erhverv & Økonomi

SEE RELATED: Opinion | Danish supermarkets: finally, free from desire

Editorial Excerpt | The right direction
If we want our businesses to keep up in the face of increasing international competition, we need to make sure that are our vocational schools are also up to the task of training the employees companies need. That’s not the case right now. Vocational schools are looked down upon. That needs to change. – Berlingske 

SEE RELATED: Criticism of vocational school revamp abounds

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  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.