The leader of the academic union in Denmark has expressed outrage over a proposal from KL (the Danish Municipalities) regarding collective bargaining negotiations that began for 500,000 employees. This proposal suggests earmarking nearly one billion kroner specifically for 'warm' hands, referring to roles such as social and health care assistants (SOSU assistants) and educators. The concern is that this approach will detract from the remuneration of academic professions such as lawyers and engineers, essentially undermining their salaries despite the recent government-announced wage increase for other sectors.

Furthermore, the plan indicates that local municipalities will divert a portion of leftover funds from the government's wage increase—at least 350 million kroner annually—toward local wage applications which will not include members of academic unions in the negotiation process. This has raised alarms among the academic community who fear that their compensation will be sidelined in favor of funding for professions with already higher demand.

The academic union's strong stance against this proposal highlights the ongoing debate over public sector wage distribution and the challenges faced within the labor market, especially regarding staff shortages in critical areas like healthcare and education. As negotiations unfold, the implications of this proposal could significantly influence the academic workforce's financial viability in Denmark.