Thursday, 22. May 2008, 04:12:47
Denmark, News
Foreigners aren't the only ones who have a hard time learning the Danish language. A new study shows that Danish children are slower than toddlers in other countries at picking up their native language's nuances.
The study, conducted by the University of Southern Denmark's Centre for Child Language, showed that Danish children on average have a vocabulary of only 80 words at the age of 15 months. Conversely, Swedish children at the same age can handle 130 words, while Croatian toddlers have mastered up to 200.
The research shows that by the age of two, Danish children are nearly up to speed.
According to the study, the primary reason Danish children lag behind in language comprehension is because single words are difficult to extract from Danish's slurring together of words in sentences. Danish is also one of the languages with the most vowel sounds, which leads to a 'mushier' pronunciation of words in everyday conversation.
Friday, 16. May 2008, 04:19:04
Denmark, News
The healthcare workers' strike has begun to cause serious treatment delays which doctors say will take up to a year to get back to normal
After four weeks of the nurses' strike, hospitals are now backlogged up to a year by the cancellation of around 217,000 operations.
Patients in queue for non-acute operations such as knee and hip replacements will be pushed back the farthest, although hospitals have not yet worked out a specific order in which individual patients will be treated.
The strike has now lasted full four weeks, and is still going strong. It has now been reported that a man died because of lack of treatment. He was a heart patient and a haemophiliac and should have been operated on April 15th - the day the strikes began. His operation was cancelled, and on May 9th he got chest pain and an ambulance picked him up. Unfortunately they didn't know his background so they drove him to a wrong hospital, where he passed away in the casualty department.
Tuesday, 13. May 2008, 04:07:40
Denmark, News
Experts are predicting the recession that has hit the US will be felt in Denmark starting as soon as next year.
It is apparently still true that when the US sneezes Europe catches a cold, as both the Danish Bank Nordea Bank and the International Monetary Fund believe a weakening British pound and an waning US dollar will hamper the world's economy, and Denmark will not be spared.
A new analysis indicates that several other factors have also contributed to a bleaker economic outlook for the next two years: the bottom of the Danish housing market having fallen out, American consumers are shutting their pocketbooks, an ailing stock market and rising food and fuel prices.
Nordea still predicts a growth of 1.5 percent of GNP in 2008 - and that is only half that of 2007. By 2009, the bank says growth will have slowed to 0.9 percent. Predictions from IMF are even more grim, as they forecast only a 0.6 percent growth by 2009.
The sluggish growth will be felt on the job market, as a serious increase in unemployment.
As of March 1st 2008 - Statistic Denmark's most up-to-date figures - unemployment was at an all-time low of 55,400, or just 2 percent.
*Saves a little extra for a rainy day*
Monday, 5. May 2008, 15:33:39
Denmark, News
Striking daycare teachers and nursing home attendants can be back on the job by Wednesday if a new contract struck after marathon negotiations on Sunday is approved by the workers' union.
Representatives from union FOA and KL, the national association of local councils, announced early today that they had come to an agreement that added an extra 35 million kroner to the value of the three-year contract the union's members rejected in April. The total value of the contract is now 5.7 billion kroner.
The agreement must be approved by union representatives before work can resume. Union members have until 29 May to vote on the agreement. If they reject it, the strike will resume on 3 June.
The National Nurses Organisation has refused to relax its demands and is continuing to strike.
Sunday, 20. April 2008, 09:07:10
Denmark, News, Women
Today it is excactly 100 years ago that a law was passed, a law that gave Danish women the right to vote.
The demand about women having rights to vote rised during the 1880's. It mobilized thousands of activists and changed the women's movement from being something that only happened in Copenhagen, into a national movement. The law from 1908 gave Danish women the right to vote for the local elections, and in 1915 a new law was made that gave women rights to vote at national elections as well.
Even though these laws was an important step in our democracy, there is still a long way to go. We still don't have equal pay, and women are still poorly represented in committees and as leaders.
The 100 year anniversary will be celebrated today, and I will go to the Copenhagen town hall square to see what happens there. Of course I'll bring my camera. 
Wednesday, 16. April 2008, 05:59:53
Denmark, News
Up to 100,000 health care workers and pre-school employees are beginning a work stoppage today, leaving many of the country's young children and sick people without adequate care.
No-shows from the unions' 70,000 nurses, midwives and physiotherapists will especially exacerbate problems for Denmark's already overburdened medical facilities.
The Association of Local Government Employees' Organisations (KTO) has last week negotiated a 12.8 percent pay hike over three years for many of the nation's teachers and also secured an agreement for public employees. But FOA and The Health Confederation want a 15 percent pay rise, among other conditions.
BUPL, the union representing many of the country's day care teachers, was originally set to strike with FOA, but the union agreed in principle Friday to a contract with employer bargaining agent Local Government Denmark, avoiding an even wider day care strike. An estimated 25,000 children will still be affected by the absence of day care workers who are FOA members, however.
Local governments in all municipalities are scheduled to meet today to implement emergency coverage plans for all affected facilities. The government, meanwhile, indicated it would be forced to intervene in the conflict if the strike created life-threatening situations.
But FOA president Dennis Kristensen said the parties had previously agreed that the government would not get involved in the conflict.
'It's a hidden threat from the Conservatives,' he stated on the union's website, referring to statements from the party's financial spokesperson, Lars Barfod. 'Every single region is working on an emergency plan. Unfortunately, the comments mean the decision to intervene has probably already been taken.'
Despite the impending chaos the strike would cause, 48 percent of Danes support the strikers, while 42 percent are against, according to a poll. I am one of the 48 percent, even though I am not one of the ones the strike. Their wages are way below what it should be. I hope the government decides to let the parts do what they need to do to agree, and not stopping the strikes. It will hopefully cause serious disruptions to the health care and day care sectors, making the employers agree on the demands.
Showing posts 21 -
30 of 34.
(40%)
WIDGETIZE