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WORKING IN DENMARK

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 

The Danish parliament has agreed a 1.3 billion kroner spending plan that is designed to tackle social dumping and other problem areas at workplaces.

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 
Danish politicians present a major spending plan to improve work environments, including measures against social dumping. Photo: Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The deal, termed a “working environment agreement” (arbejdsmiljøaftale), specifies social dumping as a major area of focus.

“This is an agreement of historic level. I am happy that everyone is part of it,” employment minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen said following the conclusion of negotiations on Thursday.

Social dumping is the practice by which foreign workers are used to circumvent Danish collective bargaining agreements, saving employers money by hiring staff on wages and working conditions inferior to those set by the Danish labour model.

READ ALSO: ‘One in two’ tax inspections found social dumping at Danish companies

Some 673 million kroner of the total 1.3 billion are earmarked for prevention of social dumping.

“This is an anti social dumping effort that acts against labour crime and cheating the system. So that people who actually play by the rules get fair competition,” Halsboe-Jørgensen said.

Other elements of the spending will aim to address industrial accidents and mental health at workplaces.

“Work should not make you sick. Neither physically or mentally.  That’s why we’re also proud that we’re tackling psychological working environments,” Socialist People’s Party (SF) representative Astrid Carøe said.

The money provided by the deal will be spent over a four-year period from 2024 until 2027.

The signatory parties describe it as a “historically large grant” to the agency Arbejdstilsynet, which is responsible for ensuring acceptable working environments.

Increased inspection frequencies, introduced in a prior 2019 agreement, continue under the new deal.

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IMMIGRATION

Danish businesses praise record immigration in first quarter of 2023

More people moved to Denmark in the first quarter of 2023 than in any previous three-month period.

Danish businesses praise record immigration in first quarter of 2023

A record number of people immigrated to Denmark in the first three months of this year, according to Statistics Denmark figures reported by newspaper Berlingske.

Some 21,986 people moved to the country in the first quarter, while 11,506 left Denmark.

Businesses in Denmark have sought to attract foreign labour in recent times to fill vacancies.

READ ALSO:

The high figure for immigration was described as “super positive” by SMVdanmark, an interest organisation for small and medium sized companies.

“It makes it possible for businesses to take advantage of momentum in the economy, it pushes inflation down and it boosts public finances in times with hard demographic headwinds,” SMVdamark senior economist Thomas Gress told Berlingske.

Gress also said that Danish businesses are good at recruiting international labour and have had good experiences with it.

Successful relocations to Denmark for work purposes can offer an additional boost if immigrants report successful experiences back to their home countries, he added.

Over half of migrations to Denmark come from Western countries, according to Berlingske.

Countries defined as “Western”, along with the Balkans region and Ukraine, which are not included in that category, represent two thirds of the total number of immigrants for the quarter.

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