And now for something completely different, the Danish edition…

This guy's so mad about the rule change, he's got an axe! Watch out, Danes!

Alternate title for this post, Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark.

So this isn’t exactly coffee-related, but it’s definitely beverage-related, and it strikes to the very heart, I think, of what I used to believe made Denmark such a role model on the world stage. Sure, the country has what, four world champion baristas, but it’s about more than that. It’s about what makes a job worth having, and while free beer at lunch is nice, what’s better is free beer all day long, so when management at Carlsberg brewing changed the rules, the workers did what anyone would do when a tasty cold one is denied to them: they went on strike.

From the story (emphasis added):

The warehouse and production workers in Denmark are rebelling against the company’s new alcohol policy, which allows them to drink beer only during lunch hours in the canteen. Previously, they could help themselves to beer throughout the day, from coolers placed around the work sites.
The only restriction was “that you could not be drunk at work. It was up to each and everyone to be responsible,” company spokesman Jens Bekke said.

A nice touch is that the delivery drivers are supporting the production workers, even though the drivers don’t have access to the canteen. Instead the drivers get to take three beers with them on their routes.

Way to stick together, workers! Solidarity!

About Ken 262 Articles
Kenneth R. Olson (he/him) is co-founder and publisher of Barista Magazine the worldwide trade magazine for the professional coffee community. He has written extensively about specialty coffee, traveled near and far for stories, activities, and fun, and been invited to present on topics important to coffee culture. He is also an avid fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Huskies, and public libraries.

2 Comments

  1. Oh yeah, I remember the coolers around the Coffee Collective café so that a nice cold one was always nearby. A very evolved way to run a shop for sure. It’s just like that at BMag World HQ too. You Danes are role models, that’s why it’s so important to support the Carlsberg workers in their fight for free beer!

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