Revised Greenlandic mining law under fire

Trade unions from Greenland and Denmark say latest version still violates labour rules and does little to discourage the use of underpaid foreign workers

Greenland’s parliament will once again debate a controversial law that would relax a number of regulations for companies establishing mines and other raw materials operations in the self-governing territory.

The law would allow companies working on projects valued at over 5 billion kroner to enter into agreements with foreign trade unions, possibly circumventing union rules in both Greenland and Denmark.

Union heads in both countries said the law would allow companies to import underpaid foreign labour, a practice known as social dumping. For example, Chinese construction companies working in Greenland would be able to hire thousands of Chinese nationals working on Chinese contracts.

Proponents of the law argue it is necessary to relax regulations in order to make it easier to attract companies to invest in mining operations in Greenland, where operations can be expensive to establish and operate due to a lack of infrastructure and harsh weather conditions.

The original version of the law was passed in December 2012 when former premier Kuupik Kleist’s IA government was still in power. MPs from the main opposition party Siumut all abstained from voting at that time and pledged that if they regained power in the 2013 general election, they would call for a new vote on the law.

In March, Aleqa Hammond, the head of Siumut, defeated Kliest in the general election. And now Jens-Erik Kirkegaard, her trade minister, has offered up a new version of the law that makes concessions to the unions on holiday and disability pay and strengthens requirements to hire Greenlanders whenever possible. The new version of the law would also require that unskilled labourers be paid the equivalent of Greenland’s minimum wage.

Union scepticism
Trade union representatives said the revisions do not go far enough.

“We are concerned about the way the law is structured,” Kaalina Switch, the head NPK, a teacher’s union, told Politiken newspaper. “The possibility that foreign miners could still use agreements from abroad is too great.”

SIK, Greenland’s largest trade union, lukewarmly supported the law, but Jess G Berthelsen, the union’s leader, told Greenlandic media that he remains concerned about the prospect of a “significant pay gap” between Greenlandic and foreign workers.

A spokesperson for Denmark’s 3F trade union said the language of the law was still too broad and left too much room to underpay foreign workers.

Kirkegaard countered that the law would secure investments while at the same time “build skills in the community, create jobs and encourage our young people to further their education”.

Establishing large scale mining operations in Greenland would require first building basic infrastructure, such as roads, power plants and port facilities. Greenland, with a population of 55,000, would be unable to provide the necessary labour for the projects. 

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • 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.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs