Nana Wesley Hansen

Nordic labour market institutions and new migrant workers: Polish migrants in Oslo, Copenhagen and Reykjavik

Large-scale migration of workers from new EU member states to the Nordic countries, mostly to fill relatively low-skilled jobs in construction, manufacturing and services, has raised concerns of low-wage competition and the ability of the Nordic social model to uphold labour standards. This article explores variations in wages and working conditions among Polish migrant workers in Oslo, Copenhagen and Reykjavik. The analysis highlights how different institutional configurations within the Nordic labour markets shape the outcomes for migrant workers, and raises questions regarding the ability of the different variations of the Nordic labour market regime to protect workers in an open, unequal and mobile European labour market.

Labour market specific institutions and the working conditions of labour migrants: The case of Polish migrant labour in the Danish labour market

Based on a respondent driven sampling survey with 500 Polish migrant workers in Denmark, this article argues that specific labour market institutions and sector differences need to be taken into account when explaining the working conditions of migrant workers. Comparing the working conditions of Polish and Danish workers, it is shown that labour market institutional arrangements provide a better explanation for the differences found between the two groups than differences in individual characteristics of the migrants and the Danish workforce. In addition, the article argues that factors such as institutionalized wage variability within sectors and the decentralized regulation of working conditions are important when assessing the potential implication of migrant workers in the labour market.

Denitrification by cystic fibrosis pathogens – Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is dormant in sputum

OBJECTIVE Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection is the most severe complication for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Infected endobronchial mucus of CF patients contains anaerobic zones mainly due to the respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. We have recently demonstrated ongoing denitrification in sputum from patients infected with P. aeruginosa. Therefore we aimed to investigate, whether the pathogenicity of several known CF pathogens is correlated to their ability to perform denitrification. METHODS We measured denitrification with N(2)O microsensors in concert with anaerobic growth measurements by absorbance changes and colony counting in isolates from 32 CF patients chronically infected with the highly pathogenic bacteria P. aeruginosa, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Burkholderia multivorans or the less pathogenic bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Consumption of NO(3)(-) and NO(2)(-) was estimated by the Griess Assay. All isolates were assayed during 2 days of incubation in anaerobic LB broth with NO(3)(-) or NO(2)(-). PNA FISH staining of 16S rRNA was used to estimate the amount of ribosomes per bacterial cells and thereby the in situ growth rate of S. maltophilia in sputum. RESULTS Supplemental NO(3)(-) caused increased production of N(2)O by P. aeruginosa, A. xylosoxidans and B. multivorans and increased growth for all pathogens. Growth was, however, lowest for S. maltophilia. NO(3)(-) was metabolized by all pathogens, but only P. aeruginosa was able to remove NO(2)(-). S. maltophilia had limited growth in sputum as seen by the weak PNA FISH staining. CONCLUSIONS All four pathogens were able to grow anaerobically by NO(3)(-) reduction. Denitrification as demonstrated by N(2)O production was, however, not found in S. maltophilia isolates. The ability to perform denitrification may contribute to the pathogenicity of the infectious isolates since complete denitrification promotes faster anaerobic growth. The inability of S. maltophilia to proliferate by denitrification and therefore grow in the anaerobic CF sputum may explain its low pathogenicity in CF patients.

Public service employment relations in an era of austerity: The case of Denmark

This article analyses the impact of the economic crisis on the public sector in Denmark. It first examines the overall public sector responses and presents local case studies, before offering a comparative perspective with other Nordic countries. The article concludes that responses to the crisis in Denmark mostly involve ‘resetting recent reform’. The crisis has affected on job levels and employment relations, but other drivers are also important. Analysis at the local level reveals that the reduction in job levels is as much an expression of the implementation of pre-crisis reforms and demographic change as a manifestation of a direct crisis impact. The moderate impact of the crises on public sector reforms is also found in Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Rapid identification of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization.

The objective of this study was to develop a novel peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia identification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The probe was evaluated using 33 human and veterinary clinical S. maltophilia isolates and 45 reference strains representing common bacterial species in the respiratory tract. The probe displayed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity on pure cultures and allowed detection in sputum from cystic fibrosis patients. The detection limit was 104 CFU/mL in spiked tracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage from healthy horses. Altogether the study shows that this species-specific PNA FISH probe facilitates rapid detection of S. maltophilia in biological specimens.

Rekruttering av kompetansearbeidskraft fra tredjeland til Norden : – Reguleringer, strategier og realiteter

I denne rapport praesenteres resultaterne fra et nordisk samarbejdsprojekt om rekruttering af kompetencearbejdskraft til Norden fra lande uden for EU/EOS-omradet. I rapporten redegores der for de na ...

Government employers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway: The use of power to control wage and employment conditions:

How do government employers exercise power in highly voluntarist bargaining models? In this article, we analyse the potential power of public employers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and examine how they use this potential. We call attention to three areas in which government employers exercise power: direct political intervention, attempts to decentralize wage bargaining and control of wage movements. We argue that government employers in the three countries have similar institutional capacities for power, but their ways of exercising power vary according to political norms and practice.

International company restructuring and the effects on high-skilled employees in lead companies

International company restructuring involving knowledge intensive jobs causes increasing concern about the effect on the globalization of high-skilled employees. Drawing on case studies in four Danish-based companies, this article argues that high-skilled employees in lead companies are rarely insulated from international restructuring processes. However, effects on wage and working conditions vary dependent on the motivation for restructuring, and as companies learn to take advantage of pools of skilled employees abroad. Continued international restructuring appear to challenge the insulation of high-skilled workers over time. Further, the article shows that knowledge intensive companies increasingly apply relational global value chain governance with multidirectional consequences for wage and working conditions among the high-skilled employees.