06-10-2010, 11:18 AM
Fertility demo fizzles; unions planning second protest today
TUESDAY, 08 JUNE 2010 09:30 KM NEWS
The proposed cuts to fertility treatment are part of a wider government scheme to slash 24 billion kroner from public spending by 2013 (Photo: file photo, Scanpix)
Poor weather put a damper on yesterday’s demonstration against budget cuts, but trade unions are converging on the capital for a mass protest today
Heavy rain yesterday kept away many of the planned attendees at a demonstration in front of parliament against cuts to health service-financed fertility treatment.
In all, about 75 people gathered to ask parliament not to force couples unable to have children on their own to pay upwards of the 45,000 kroner cost of the treatment.
Nina Overgaard Kristensen, the spokesperson for the demonstrators, pointed out that the World Health Organisation has categorised involuntary childlessness as an illness.
“We have the right to free treatment for our illness, just like all other Danes do,” she said.
Denmark has one of the world’s highest rates of artificial insemination, and about 3,000 children – or about 5 percent – are born here annually with the help of fertility treatments.
Citing that figure, Ovesen said it was “incomprehensible” that the government planned to begin charging for fertility treatment at a time when the country’s population was ageing.
The decision to drop free fertility treatment for heterosexual couples, as well lesbian couples and single women, is a part of the government’s plan to trim 24 billion kroner in public spending by 2013.
Charging for fertility treatment is expected to save 200 million kroner. The plan, however, does set up a 50 million kroner pool for childless couples with “special needs”.
A second protest is already underway in front of parliament. LO, the national confederation of trade unions, has organised the demonstration and will send 150 coach loads of members from around the country to protest against the budget cuts.
LO, according to Politiken newspaper, is demanding that the plan’s proposal to cut benefit periods from four years to two be compensated with increased notice times for employees facing layoffs.
TUESDAY, 08 JUNE 2010 09:30 KM NEWS
The proposed cuts to fertility treatment are part of a wider government scheme to slash 24 billion kroner from public spending by 2013 (Photo: file photo, Scanpix)
Poor weather put a damper on yesterday’s demonstration against budget cuts, but trade unions are converging on the capital for a mass protest today
Heavy rain yesterday kept away many of the planned attendees at a demonstration in front of parliament against cuts to health service-financed fertility treatment.
In all, about 75 people gathered to ask parliament not to force couples unable to have children on their own to pay upwards of the 45,000 kroner cost of the treatment.
Nina Overgaard Kristensen, the spokesperson for the demonstrators, pointed out that the World Health Organisation has categorised involuntary childlessness as an illness.
“We have the right to free treatment for our illness, just like all other Danes do,” she said.
Denmark has one of the world’s highest rates of artificial insemination, and about 3,000 children – or about 5 percent – are born here annually with the help of fertility treatments.
Citing that figure, Ovesen said it was “incomprehensible” that the government planned to begin charging for fertility treatment at a time when the country’s population was ageing.
The decision to drop free fertility treatment for heterosexual couples, as well lesbian couples and single women, is a part of the government’s plan to trim 24 billion kroner in public spending by 2013.
Charging for fertility treatment is expected to save 200 million kroner. The plan, however, does set up a 50 million kroner pool for childless couples with “special needs”.
A second protest is already underway in front of parliament. LO, the national confederation of trade unions, has organised the demonstration and will send 150 coach loads of members from around the country to protest against the budget cuts.
LO, according to Politiken newspaper, is demanding that the plan’s proposal to cut benefit periods from four years to two be compensated with increased notice times for employees facing layoffs.