Morning Briefing – Thursday, October 17

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

Oct 17, 2013

Slow work, high fine
Contractors who win public sector construction projects face stiffer penalties for not completing their work on time, according to a proposal put forward by the transport minister, Pia Olsen Dyhr (Socialistisk Folkeparti). Currently contractors can be fined if they are delayed, but citations must be issued by the police. Dyhr would raise the fines and make it possible for the local council the contractors are carrying out the work for to issue the fines themselves. Contractors said any measures to make it easier to issue fines should be coupled with incentives to encourage them to finish ahead of schedule. – Berlingske Business

Agency, inspect thyself
State employees responsible for enforcing occupational health laws are so overworked that 40 percent would not recommend others to work in the same organisation. Moreover, half say they have little to no confidence in their management, according to an internal Employment Ministry report. The findings come after previous reports that caseworkers did not have enough time to complete their work correctly. Unions said similar attitudes could be seen throughout the public sector and were related to organisational changes and budget cuts. – Politiken

Danish pilots on course to land new jobs
The number of Danish pilots flying for SAS could jump by many as 100, to 800, if the pan-Scandinavian airline, as expected, makes Copenhagen Airport the final destination for many of its 12 new international routes. Being awarded the extra routes is seen as a reward for the close collaboration between Danish pilots and the airline’s management after acrimonious negotiations last year that saw employees forced to accept lower pay and longer working hours or see the airline go bankrupt. – Børsen

Editorial Excerpt | Islam in Danish
In order for [a proposed programme to train Danish imams] to have the required professional and moral authority, moderate Muslim groups must be involved in discussions about how it should be structured. The programme, which could eventually contribute to combatting extremism, will likely be greeted with scepticism by radical groups, who will criticise it for being a Westernised form of Islam. This only underscores the need to include Danish Muslims as early as possible in the process. – Politiken

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