Danish construction workers bring soda to unpaid colleagues blocking hospital site

Danish tradespeople delivered soda to foreign workers protesting unpaid wages at the construction site of Denmark’s largest hospital, Nyt OUH, where Italian and Romanian laborers have blocked access for a third consecutive day, public broadcaster DR reports.

The workers, employed by the now-bankrupt firm Techno Build, have not received wages for the past two months. Philip Bang, a flooring installer at the site, said the situation had affected him personally. “No one wants to work for free. You have rights, and you get paid when you work,” he told DR. “A crate of soda may not help much, but it’s something.”

Stilladsarbejder Chris Østerdahl arrived with a van full of soda, calling the wage dispute “appalling.” “You come to Denmark to work and then don’t get paid—that’s no way to live,” he said.

Total contractor OHTP confirmed it is working with the bankruptcy estate to resolve the payments. “We are currently reviewing invoices and expect to agree on the final amount with the administrator shortly,” press officer Christian Lemvigh wrote to DR. Payment terms will then be set in coordination with the estate.

The protesters have vowed to maintain the blockade until their wages are paid in full.