From the Central Association of Permanent Defence Personnel (CS), Denmark:

Everything is still affected by Covid 19. Employees from the Danish Emergency Management Agency and the Home Guard help in test centers and call centers due to COVID-19. In this context, the Danish Emergency Management Agency has employed approx. 200 constables extra to solve tasks in connection with the staffing of test centers.

To avoid infection from Mink and a further mutation of COVID-19, the Danish government decided that all mink in Denmark should be euthanized. This happened primarily in the month of November, and here soldiers from the army and a large part of constables and sergeants from the Danish Emergency Management Agency helped to euthanize and dispose of these many Mink.

It was a very unpleasant task, which the Defence leadership is very aware of, may require special support and help afterwards for the soldiers who were involved in the solution of the task.

At the time of writing, CS has not yet received an actual assessment from our union representatives on this task.

COVID-19 also means that as many military employees as possible still work in their own homes, and that meetings and training, etc. as far as possible, are done by digital media (Skype, etc.)

However, not all current topics are related to COVID-19. All catering, accommodation and area maintenance of Danish military service locations have been outsourced to a company (ISS), which won the contract following a public European tender a few years ago. However, the quality of the product offered has been the subject of widespread and ever-increasing dissatisfaction among the daily users (employees) at the places of employment. While the Ministry of Defence’s legal department and involved parties are now discussing the content of the contract – and the possibility of changes or cancellation, all groups in the defence, regardless of rank, express dissatisfaction with the current situation. This is a situation that the professional organizations also follow closely and expect action on.

Denmark has also got a new Chief of Defence. General Bjørn Bisserup resigns and retires after three years as Chief of Defence. The new Chief of Defence is General Flemming Lentfer, who comes from the Air Force, and for the past three years has been Director Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation and National Armaments Director. He has been Chief of Defence since December 1. 2020.

For more information, please contact CS.

(Picture: Danish Defence Picture Gallery)