raabjerg

Everybody knows

april 7th, 2010

Ingemann Olesen, administrative director of the commune of Kolding just got replaced. His apparent offence? To comment publicly that what is wrong with the public sector in Denmark are vast inefficiencies due to ineffective employees.

His statements caused quite a stir with reactions from Christiansborg (the Danish parliament) and local political authorities: Of course it isn’t so. Our employees are well motivated, doing a fine job, and by no means ineffective.

Unfortunately, pretty much everyone who has ever worked in the public sector knows for a fact that this sector – at least in Denmark, and I suspect other places as well – are filled with people just such as the ones he describes (though of course, there are those that do a very good job). I think this is most likely a function of the (generally low) attractiveness of working in that sector, which in turn expresses itself through the supply-and demand mechanics of the labour-market in terms of who finds a job where.

I believe this is a case of everybody knowing deep down that there is an issue, though no-one dares to touch it with a 10-feet pole.

For more info, see politiken.dk.

Entry Filed under: Denmark,Society