One in four Danish companies reliant on foreign labour: survey

More than half Danish companies employ foreign labour and one in four say they could not run their company without them, according to a member survey of 1,255 company managers by the Lederne management union. 

Of the 1,255 who replied to the survey 759 said they employed foreign workers and 354 said that these workers were essential to their business. 

“This tells us that we cannot run Denmark without foreign labour, so it is not a discussion whether we need foreign labor or not. We have it, and we need more of it,” Bodil Nordestgaard Ismiris, the union’s managing director, told the Politiken newspaper. 

“That’s why the message from us is that we must do away with all these bogus rules which mean that today in Denmark we actually expel many well-functioning, well-integrated people because of some very strange arguments. We have to understand in Denmark that every time we do that, we shoot ourselves in the foot.” 

The new SVM government has announced that it will lower the minimum salary threshold for work permits, so long as unemployment is low. The bill is due to in February.

Danish vocab: gakkede – weird, odd, nonsensical

Denmark ‘considering’ new military donations to Ukraine

Danish Minister of Defence Jakob Ellemann-Jensen has not ruled out additional donations of military equipment to Ukraine after the Nordic country recently agreed to send artillery pieces to Kyiv.

Ellemann-Jensen said in an email to news wire Ritzau that further donations could come into play following a visit to Black Sea city Mykolaiv earlier this week.

“Denmark has just made a large donation to Ukraine in the form of all of the army’s artillery. Something the Ukrainians themselves requested, and that we can be proud of,” Ellemann-Jensen wrote.

“Having said that, there is no doubt there will be a need for more Danish support for Ukraine,” he said. 

Danish vocab: at understøtte – to support 

Denmark rated world’s least corrupt country in index

Denmark has been named the least corrupt country in the world for the fifth time in an annual index – but that does not mean the Nordic country is corruption free, according to a representative from the organisation behind the ranking.

Global anti-corruption agency Transparency International has placed Denmark as the country with the best record in its analysis of the perceived level of corruption in the public sector in a range of countries.

In the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking, countries are given a score from 0 to 100 with a higher number representing a better ranking. Denmark was given 90, two points better than last year’s total of 88.

In a statement on its website, the organisation said Denmark had risen in the index because people had reported less experience of bribery around import/export permits, public services, tax, public contracts and contact with the courts. 

Danish vocab: bestikkelse – bribery

Danish speed camera warning app to be switched off

The Fartkontrol.nu app, which warns motorists about upcoming speed checks on roads, is to be switched off at the end of January.

A message appeared in the app confirming that it will no longer work from next month, media Avisen Danmark reported.

“It is with great regret that we are unable to continue running the app due to technical challenges and new requirements from Google Maps that we are unable to meet,” the message states.

Fartkontrol.nu warns users about speed checks as well as accidents and other traffic disruptions on Danish roads.

Danish vocab: trafikale forstyrrelser – traffic disruptions

Danish supermarket chains to get shared names in rebranding

Danish supermarkets Kvickly, SuperBrugsen and Irma will operate under a shared name after parent company Coop decided to merge the three brands together.

Coop said in a statement on Tuesday that the largest of its Kvickly, SuperBrugsen and Irma stores will all be renamed “Coop”.

Remaining, smaller stores will, along with existing Dagli’ Brugsen stores, all be called “Brugsen” under the rebranding. 

Danish vocab: en kæde – a chain