Business briefs of the week: Compulsory ID cards in the construction industry

In other news: House of Prince breaks a billion in record year; new growth proposal; temping booming; SAS lay offs and English market notices

From 2015, all workers on Danish building sites will be required to wear ID badges, regardless of their nationality, following an agreement entered into by the government, Enhedslisten and the trade union 3F, Børsen business newspaper reports.

Concerns regarding social dumping and a growing number of industrial accidents in the construction industry have prompted the introduction the scheme, which is similar to one already in place in Norway.

Regardless of nationality
The tax authority, SKAT, and the working environment authority, Arbejdstilsynet, will be responsible for inspections to ensure that the rule is adhered to.

Bjarne Croydon, the finance minister, told Børsen that the working environment “should be in order regardless of which country is on your passport.”

“The compulsory security cards will contribute to this.”

House of Prince breaks a billion in record year


(Photo: Colourbox)

Tobacco giant posts record profits for 2013

The Danish tobacco girant, House of Prince, which is owned by British American Tobacco, reported pre-tax profits of 1.2 billion kroner in 2013, representing an increase of 32 percent on its 2012 results.

Børsen writes that, when tobacco duties are taken out of the equation, this represents turnover of 2.6 billion kroner.

The management review in the annual report is subdued in light of the record result. “The company’s management consider the year’s result to be satisfactory and in line with expectations,” it states.

“The company’s management expect a result on the same level in coming years,” it continued.

Last year 6.9 billion cigarettes were sold in Denmark, compared to 6.6 billion in 2012.

New growth proposal

The government and Venstre have agreed on a new growth package, which includes reduction of the PSO energy tariff, a revised role of unemployment unions in activation, new VAT rules for the hotel industry, better conditions for financing small companies and the abolition of firewood duties. Industry leaders have reacted positively.

Temping booming

Statistics from Vikarbureauernes Brancheforening, the industry organisation for temporary employment bureaus, show that there has been an increase in turnover of 24 percent since Q1 2013. The growth was principally in industry, where there was a 59.4 percent increase, and construction, where turnover was 54.7 percent up on last year.

SAS lay offs

SAS intends to lay off 300 employees following disappointing results for the second quarter of this year. Turnover was down by around 1.24 million kroner on Q2 2013, mostly due to increased competition in the local market. The company maintains that it can still make a profit for the year.

English market notices 

In future, listed companies will be allowed to write market notices exclusively in English to reduce their administrative burden. “We will also see if there are Danish rules that are too strict and damage companies’ competitiveness,” the business and growth minister, Henrik Sass Larsen, said in a press release.

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