Construction workers at Odense University Hospital site offered emergency loan after pay dispute

Workers from bankrupt subcontractor Techno Build, who blocked access to the construction site of the new Odense University Hospital (OUH) on Wednesday morning, have been offered a 5,000 kroner loan by the main contractor OHPT, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The employees, who claim they have not received a month’s wages since Techno Build’s collapse in early May, rejected the offer during a meeting with the company’s liquidator, Mikkel Løgsted. “We’ve been offered a 5,000 kroner loan to go home, but we won’t accept it. We want our full pay,” said Romanian worker Ionut Cimpesu, adding that protests would continue over the coming days with further blockades planned.

Løgsted acknowledged the loan was modest but described it as a short-term measure to “bridge the gap” until a resolution is reached. OHPT, the main contractor, stated in a written response that it was in “ongoing dialogue with all parties, particularly the liquidator,” prioritizing the unpaid workers.

The dispute follows similar claims in early May by employees of another Romanian subcontractor, Raffa and Team Solutions. Carsten Duus, deputy chair of Blik and Rør Sydjylland-Fyn, criticized Region Syddanmark for failing to show solidarity with the workers, though regional chair Bo Libergren (Venstre) maintained that the matter lay between the bankrupt firms and OHPT. “We pay our bills on time, but these workers are not on our payroll,” Libergren said.