"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" ("From the Employment Market") April-May 1998

The programmes were written by Karin Høgh.

Summary/translation by Jens Tingleff

Explanatory notes are rendered evasively, inside square brackets [like this], with original Danish in quotes. Summary notes in contrast, like this.

Some editing has been done to make the verbal interviews read well, even - as far as possible - in the case of the statements from the head of scientology public relations in Denmark Annette Refstrup.

The currency mentioned is Danish Kroner, there are approximately 7 Kroner to a US dollar.

• April 28th Are scientology-owned cleaning companies part of the 'cleaning Mafia'?
• May 5th Do scientology-owned cleaning companies use scientology 'technology'?
• May 12th Should job-seekers be informed about any connection a prospective employer and scientology?
• May 19th Comment by Tom Heinemann. Read this if the rest seems too long. Read the sorry tale of the cleaning company 'The White Glove'...

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" April 28th 1998

Lead-in:

Who hasn't heard the expression 'if you can't find another job, you can always do cleaning and wash stairs'? It may well be that it's possible to find work as a cleaner. But those who clean our offices and workplaces have traditionally been among the group of the worst paid, the least educated and those with the worst conditions of work. With time, unions have achieved a series of improvements in the field, but there's still some way to go, before the entire cleaning workforce, which is so vital to everyone else, gets adequate work conditions.

Inge Krul, IK:

Cleaning, today, has become a really good profession. But, we do have a few of what we call irregular ["uorganiserede"] companies, where no agreements ["overenskomster"] are in place, which disappoint us badly.

Steen Hoe, SH:

We were told to inform the workers that from now, they would be paid union rates, but they had to work faster. I would have no part of that, and so I quit the job as supervisor.

Agreement secretary in the Union of Women Workers ["faglig sekretær, Kvindeligt Arbejderforbund, afdeling 1 i Købehavn"], Inge Krul, is in her office with agreements, lay-off notes and contracts, which workers in a few companies have put forward. Several of them have asked 'can it be true, that one has to accept, and sign to, conditions like these?' Inge Krul leafs through some of them

IK:

... that's a funny one, too.
The contract I have in front of me here, is certainly not a contract of a type which we are used to seeing. There are a number of points here which do not meet the demands to what we find should be part of an agreement to work. There are also things which we must distance ourselves from in the strongest possible way.

Karin Høgh, KH:

What are those?

IK:

Among other things, the point that if one does not stay through the entirity of the employment period, in this case one year, one has to pay 500 Kroner in order to terminate the contract before the end of the year. This is not a part of normal agreements in our field. In our field, with union agreements, it is customary to have notice periods which are also binding for the employee, but there are no fixed amounts as here, and no minimum time before being permitted to quit the job.

KH:

What do you think about the fact that an ordinary cleaning person ["rengøringsassistent"] signs, as in this case, an exclusion agreement ["konkurrenceklausul"], that is: for two years this person is not permitted to take work for other cleaning companies?

IK:

This is unheard of, and it's completely unacceptable to write this sort of thing into a working agreement, I find. The salary here is very low compared to the union rate in this field, it's approximately 15 Kroner [per hour] below the current level, and that is not acceptable either. There are also things about bonuses and so on; but that's not right, it's on your salary that you should make your living, it's not on the bonuses.

description of salary for workers covered by union rates (just over 90 Kroner per hour)

KH:

Is it normal, in the cleaning profession, that salary depends on the quality of the work?

IK:

Not to my knowledge. I haven't seen that; there may be special cases where this is the case, but it's not the normal case.

KH:

in this case, one is actually not paid minimum wage unless one executes the job to 'the fullest satisfaction'.

IK:

Yes, well, everywhere else you earn your full salary, and if you don't do your job well, I think it's the duty of the employer to send you on a cleaning course...

KH:

The union hasn't tried to establish an agreement with this company, but you have made a visit to it, to 'The White Rose' ["Den Hvide Rose"].

IK:

Yes we have, as part of our campaign, where we visited various companies, both those we knew, and those we didn't know, and we visited this company as well. We arrived, and were received by a gentleman ["herre"]. We asked if we could talk to some of the cleaners he had working, and we were told that we couldn't.

We then asked how many hours they worked, and were told that it was something like three to six, maybe nine hours per week. We then asked if he wasn't interested in making an agreement with us, and he certainly wasn't

Discussion of how binding a contract is. It turns out that, even if one has signed a contract but the contract us unacceptable or the employee has not been able to understand all the clauses of the contract, it is possible to bring a lawsuit against it (in civil court) and that the union offers support for this. Unfortunately, unemployment is so high that new workers can always replace those who are unhappy and leave.

... Inge Krul is not the only one who is surprised that unions are rarely aware of the mere existence of these companies. Thorkild Holmboe, TH, deputy chairman of the Copenhagen section of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union ["næstformand i Hotel- og Restaurationspersonalets Københavnsafdeling"] has been looking into the irregular parts of the cleaning business, the so-called 'cleaning Mafia' ["rengøringsmafiaen"], for several years. There are companies who are completely isolated and are run after their own principles.

TH:

This means that no information is available, we are not in touch with, and we cannot get in touch with, people working in these companies. Any attempt to achieve any co-operation between the union and the company is promptly cut off at the first contact with the company.

KH:

But this could be a indication that the employees are quite satisfied, when you don't hear anything.

TH:

Normally, it is the case that even .. when there are good companies and good workplaces, that we hear about it. Where employees are satisfied, we immediately hear about it, people would converge on this company; our members are very interested in hearing about where the good jobs are.

It would be natural that the unions knew everything about good companies; good companies being rare in this business.

KH:

but when you don't hear anything, what does that signify to you?

TH:

This causes me to become very worried, and my suspicisions are aroused immediately.

Says Thorkild Holmboe of the union of Hotel and Restaurant Workers.

We have spoken to former employees of the companies 'The White Rose,' 'Your Cleaning,' 'Ginge Service,' 'The White Tornado' and 'Zealand Cleaning' ["Den Hvide Rose," "Din Rengøring," "Ginge Service," "Den Hvide Orkan" and "Sjællandsk Rengøring"]. The former employees do not wish to come forward, out of fear of reprisals, but they can document problems with getting the minimum salary, with getting paid sick-days, pension contributions and vacation [all mandated by law], also in the only company to have signed an agreement with the relevant unions. Steen Hoe was emploied in that company for some months, just as the company joined the employers organisation.

SH:

.. and that had as result that the salary which was paid was 20% too low compared to the union rate, and to enter the organisation one had to raise the salaries to the union rate. And there wasn't enough money to just add 20% to the salaries, so the supervisors were informed that we had to sit down and fabricate a reduction of the hours, so that the hourly wage went up, but the salary expenses staid the same.

KH:

but, you're still working in the cleaning business, isn't it the case that competition is so hard that you have to squeeze every penny to survive in the business at all?

SH:

Well, yes, but it also depends on what your fixed costs are constructed. I found that the fixed costs of this company were very high, compared to what one sees in the rest of the business.

KH:

so, one spent a lot of money on administration, ?

SH:

yes, a lot of money was spent on administration, on inspectors, quality managers and other things

KH:

but, no-one is talking to you, you don't have any members in these companies, is that a problem for you?

IK:

Yes it is. The biggest problem is probably that, in the company in question, they work in many places. They may only have one or two persons in each place. And, in our outgoing work, we need to, and have a right to, have access to the prospective members, and we do not always get permission to do this, from either the employer or the workplace.

KH:

have you attempted to find out whether this agreement is adhered to?

IK:

We have written once to the company to learn if we could visit the employees who could be our members and we got the reply that this was unfortunately not possible, taking into considereation the work situation ["arbejdets tarv" - a legal term]

KH:

meaning that it would interfer with the work?

IK:

exactly. We have had a member who contaced us, but was really sorry that we would contact the employer. It's difficult to make a case if we are not permitted to contact the employer, and of course we only do this if the member wants us to.

As a scientologist one is encouraged to use the techniques everywhere, meaning also when one runs a cleaning company, but several of the former employees, and the relevant unions, bring forward the very special contracts and ask: ' is this what is taught in scientology?'

We would like an answer to this question, also from the companies in question. Steen Hoe, who was cleaning supervisor in one of the companies, tell:

SH:

It was run with very systematic organisation. There was a registration system, which was used to keep taps on all employees at all times, they had quality systems, and they had inspection systems, to keep track of whether a workplace was in top condition, linked to the bonus system.

Steen Hoe left his job as cleaning superisor, because he was dissatisfied with the work conditions. But not only for that reason. When he found that his employer had connections to scientology, he was shocked, not least because he had been hired using the personality-test used by scientology to recruit new members in the streets.

KH:

Wasn't there parts of their way to run the company which you thought was good, something you could use?

SH:

Sure, and some things which he recognised from other companies

KH:

So, why was it a problem for you that the company was run by people who were connected to scientology?

SH:

Particularly the reticence about openness. Working in a company at a leadership level, one should operate as part of a unit, one shouldn't hide things from one and other.

KH:

Not even if it's related to one's personal beliefs?

SH:

Especially in that area. When I was hired, I immediately informed them about my religious beliefs, and I think that they expressed that it was a good thing to start off with a well-defined situation, that everyone worked together from a position of complete frankness. When you learn, later, that they are all scientologists and never have mentioned it, you feel bad. Then you start thinking back, and remember small incidents in a new light. I found that this was not the kind of place where I wanted to work.

The managing director of the company where Steen Hoe worked does not want to confirm that the company is run by scientologists, and he does not want to make a statement the problems of the company with labour-relations or even be interviewed. But other former employees, who do not wish to stand forward for fear of being harassed by their former employer, confirm the experiences of Steen Hoe, and - because they worked close to the management of the company - they can give a precise description of staff policies and management.

The scientologists who ran, and still run, the company, use the controversial personality test of scientology when recruiting for several senior positions; the management theories of the founder, contained in ten green volumes, were placed on the shelves, and scientology was often mentioned in the offices. The former employees felt that proselytism was inflicted on employees who did not have connections with scientology.

The former empoyees, and the unions, wonder why there are so many scientologists in the cleaning business, and whether the ways in which the companies were run are identical to those practices of scientology which are often criticised. Only Per Ginge Nielsen, PGH, of 'Ginge Service' has wanted to come forward as a scientologist, and tell that he uses the tools which scientology offer to leaders of businesses, for instance. He is a member of the scientology organisation for business leaders, WISE.

PGN:

There are certainly cleaning copanies in other countries, so it's not a particular Danish phenomenon. And why is this, ah, just like there are cleaning businesses which are not run by scientologists: it's an easy business to start.

KH:

For many of these companies, the unions wonder why they don't follow the usual 'rules of the game' ["fagretslige spilleregler"], is that a coincidence?

PGN:

The only thing I can say to that claim is 'Well?' .. none of the things you mention here are the case for 'Ginge Service.' I am originally from another line of business where performance-related pay is much more common, where there are many more employees and where the salaries are much higher than in the cleaning business.

KH:

But some people think that there are common traits for these cleaning companies run by scientologists, that they cannot sign agreements with the unions and pay the minimum wage and play by the rules. Is that a coincidence?

PGN:

The only thing I can say to that is 'Well?' I have no idea what the background is for your descriptions.

KH:

I have shown you some examples of it, this is in part what the criticism is about.

PGN:

That company, I hardly know it at all.

KH:

Again, it's a company run by scientologists.

PGN:

I know it exists, that's all. Their policies and so on are unknown to me.

TH:

There is a large number of common points, let's put it like that. The 'cleaning Mafia' is usually characterised by the need to have a complete hold over their employees. There must be strict dicipline, and total silence, that is, one cannot have the staff of the 'cleaning Mafia' running to the unions or the authorities and tell what goes on inside the limits of the companies. This is seen from day to day by the fact that we don't learn anything [".. at vi ikke får en .. nogetsomhelst at vide"] about those cleaning companies.

for companies run by people who are working for the scientology organisation, or who are themselves scientologists, the symptoms are the same

KH:

How?

TH:

They would typically be complete closed up. There is no information available about the companies, we have no contact whatsoever with either management or staff of these companies. And this is completely untypical in this line of business, in a normal cleaning company, we would normally have some 20 to 30 % of the employees as members, and we would have a natural acces to information about the ways in which companies were run and where the staff worked and how the companies were doing, and - most importantly - how our members were doing in the company.

Lead-out:

Said Thorkild Holmboe ... to Karin Høgh. In next week's 'From the Workplace,' we take closer look at whether scienoltogists who run a business uses the theories of scientology, and whether they are proselyting in the workplace.

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" May 5th 1998

On the Danish labour market, several different religions and religious movements ["trosretninger"] are represented, especially in the cleaning business, which, among others, count Jehova's Witnesses, Christians, Muslims and Mormons as employers. Members of scientology have also since the beginning of the 70's run cleaning companies, but, as union representatives and former employees told in last week's "Fra Arbejdsmarkedet", some of the scientologist-run companies impose so special and unacceptable conditions for their employees, that the companies are considered a problem on the level of the so-called 'cleaning Mafia.' A former employee tells:

Tommy, T:

so that was the first time I started thinking about 'what is this really? Who am I really working for? What's it really about?'

Unions, and several former employees wonder about the particular employment conditions, and wonder whether these are caused by the background of the employers in the controversial organisation. This programme tells about the experiences of regular employees with employers and senior staff who run their companies according to the principles of scientology.

Merete Ågård, MÅ:

Members of scientology are themselves in favour of these techniques, and think that it's OK to work in that way, and they know what are dealing with - other people don't

says a woman who has left the scientology organisation.

Tommy had just finished his education as Cand. Merc. [university level education in commercial affairs] when he saw a classified ad in the 'Sunday Paper' ["Søndagsavisen" - free paper distributed every Sunday, paid for by advertising] where the leader of the cleaning company 'The White Hurricane' ["Den Hvide Orkan"] was advertising for a right hand man for administrative duties.

T:

At a point in the conversation where the same thing had been said three times, I was just sitting looking around, like 'what kind of place is this?'

There was a big bookshelf with a lot of books in it, and a small table with a stone-age computer on it and her desk, and on one wall, to the right of me, there were statistics for the turnover for each month.

The first day at work was very entertaining, one might say. I entered, and she thought that I should find my way around the office, and she said that I should look in the various drawers and notice what was in them. I opened the first drawer and there were three rubber bands, some stamps and a stamper. I looked for some minutes at this, and then in the next drawer and then in the next and so on. And that was that.

Tommy was under the impression that he should simply work at 'The White Tornado' a few hours in the afternoon, but he was additionally put to cleaning woork. As he had another job to do, before he went to the cleaning company, he was working very long days.

T:

with seven hours on another job in the morning, he had a total of 16 hours of work each day

Then I started really noticed exactly what things were in the office. There was a day where I was alone in the office, and went around looking, and there were 10 management handbooks in encyclopedia format on the shelf, by Ron Hubbard. This was when I started thinking 'what is this really? Who am I really working for? What's it really about?'

So, I started getting interested why she acted the way she did, and was the way she was. It was frankly so far out - I called a friend, who is a teacher, and read some of it to him, and he was dumbfounded and wondered what it was all about.

KH:

what was so..?

T:

The first thing was that it is dangerous, mortally dangerous, to give up power, to delegate power. That sentence alone made me understand the way she has reacted in some situations. If she had said 'that was a good idea you had, we'll do it that way' she would have given me some power, and that was mortally dangerous, according to her conviction, so of course she wouldn't do that.

As described in "Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" of last Tuesday, the scientologist-run cleaning companies generally have very unusual employment conditions. This is not a coincidence say two former scientologists who know the scientology organisation from the inside, Carsten Lorenzen, CL, and Merete Ågård, MÅ. They were both eomployed by scientology, who have a headquarter which is structured in the same way as the navy.

MÅ:

In the sea organisation, where one works 100 % on scientology and not in other places - I worked there for a trial period -, it's the case that every hour of the day are laid down according to a plan. One has roughly nine hours of spare time every day, of which one is expected to spend the eight sleeping. The rest are planned out, with breaks for eating etc. There is a also a period where one must work. And that work is measured in statistical terms in all aspects for each task: how long it takes, how well it's carried out; and later the work is verified. For instance, if one does cleaning work, there is a so-called 'white-glove test' [uses the English term] where someone runs around wearing white gloves and check whether there's dust on the top of the doors, etc - really extreme control.

KH:

So, what you are claiming is that when scientologists run companies in ordinary society, for instance cleaning companies, they do it in the same ways?

MÅ:

Yes, that's evident. That statistics system is hardly ever used anywhere else except in scientology. It's not normal in Danish society to keep such a close eye on everyone.

CL:

Then there is something about a points system. That's is used in scientology in the same way - the more you work, the more points you get, the higher the salary.

KH:

What about this thing about paying 500 Kroner if one leaves early, is that something you recognise?

CL:

Yes. In scientology, you sign a contract which depends on the type of job you want. I've been on a 2 1/2 year contract, and if I left the organisation before the end of the 2 1/2 years, I had to pay everything I had been given, courses, books, etc. I didn't pay anything while I was in there, but I had to pay if I left.

KH:

But does it say in the green books, which several of these employers have on their shelves, does it actually say that one should fire pregnant employees, that one should not pay minimum wage, that one should not have any relations with the uions, etc?

MÅ:

No, I don't think you can find that in any of the books. But in scientology the whole purpose is to make money, and the highest ethical standard in scientology is that what is good for scientology is good. So when making money is concerned, one does what is necessary, and if it doesn't explicitely state in the books that one cannot do something, then one is permitted to do it.

KH:

But what is really wrong about having these management books on the bookshelf, and that they run their companies occrding to these ideas, there isn't anything illegal about it?

MÅ:

No, it's not directly illegal. But the problem is, that if they run a company according to the rules of scientology, then it will not be according to the rules of the Danish employment market, and people will not have the rights they are entitled to in Denmark.

First of all, employees are controled to an extreme extent. That is not fair, it can give psychogical problems, employees can find themselves with problems because of it, it's possible to pressure employees into taking courses because it appears that the employes have some personal problems in certain areas - and this is not permitted - and often employees are paid too little, and membership of a union is frowned upon. Membership of a union is a right in this country, and the minimum wage is also a right.

KH:

In several cases where questions have been asked of these employers, whether the use Hubbard's technologies, the deny it.

MÅ:

Yes, but that's because they very well know that these technologies are not well regarded, and they also know that the unions are very unhappy about the use of these technologies, that the unions think that the regular legal terms of employment should be used. And so they take the books off the shelves and do not admit that they use them, but they still do.

KH:

Would the best thing be, in your view, if people who are scientologists only hired people who are members of scientology?

MÅ:

Yes, because members of scientology are themselves in favour of these technologies and think that it's all right to work under these conditions. Normal people do not know anything about this.

It is difficult to get the managers of the companies in question to state whether they are scientologists, and whether they use the techniques of L Ron Hubbard. Most of them reclaim their freedom of religious association ["religionsfrihed"], and do not wish to inform about their beliefs. But Per Ginge Nielsen, who owns the company 'Ginge Service' in Amager, states freely that he's a member of the scientology association of enterprises, WISE.

PGN:

What you see in the various companies, that's not necessarily 'what scientology is all about,' just because they are scientologists. They define their own practices and make their own demands, and so do I, for that matter, but I strive to achieve something which is reasonable, and is as close as possible to the common rules of employment as possible.

performance-related pay is quite common in other sectors of business, if not in the cleaning business.

KH:

But is there a connection between being a member of WISE, as you are, or that one is simply a member of scientology, and the way on employes people and the way one runs a company, will there be a connection?

PGN:

That depends on the individual manager. There are several things from the scientolog management technology which would be completely inapplicable.

KH:

In a company, but there wil also be many things which you can use in your company?

PGN:

Yes, but I can draw parallels to many other educations, you learn the same things. Hubbard makes it available as a thing which may be of use to you to the extent that you find it applicable. He certainly does not make any demands on you to use it or not. It's your choice.

It's not something that a church of any kind demands of you.

KH:

I know that at one stage you asked your staff for some percentage of their salary to be paid to scientology. Why did you do that?

PGN:

'some percentage?' one percent! [laughs].

The scientology organisation passed out a call for contributions for a specific purpose. PGN asked employees who were already members of scientology and established an agreement with some of them to donate one percent of their salary (as of his). He draws parallels to any other kind of voluntary contribution which happens to be arranged through interest-groups in the work-place.

Per Ginge Nielsen also tells that he sometimes feels tempted to use the personality test which is being promoted by the organisation of professional scientologists, WISE. But he thinks, as opposed to the management of 'Your Cleaning' in Rødovre, that employees must know about the origins of the test.

Steen Hoe applied for a job as a cleaning supervisor in 'Your Cleaning' a couple of years ago.

SH:

I was sitting in front of three persons who indicated that they were the owner and the two senior managers. We were talking abouty what I had been doing in cleaning, and at the same time, it was mentioned that I should take a test. What the test was about, they weren't ready to discuss, but it was a personality test which I should fill out. Did I have anything against filling out a test? Now, I didn't, if that's what it took, and the result of the test was that I passed with flying colours, and the owner of the company, called Bente, said that I was a person that they were ready to invest in. And it's obvious, that when you hear such a statement, you are a little proud, that it sounds great.

Steen Hoe was at no moment informed that the test he had filled out was the same used by scientologists to enrole new members off the street. Nor that he was now employed in a company where most of the fellow managers were scientolgists.

SH:

I found that out after approximately two of the three moths of my trial period.

KH:

Would you have liked to know this in advance?

SH:

Yes, very much so. If so, I could have made up my mind whether I still wanted to be associated with the company, because it's probably a important personal issue with many people to know whether the company one works for has a connection to some organisation, I would have appreciated that very much.

KH:

And so you quit

SH:

And so I quit, giving two weeks notice. I no longer had any confidence in the company.

Sometimes I wonder about it. Particularly about the test; where in the system are my test results noticed? I did tell them that I wanted my test results returned, but that doesn't give me any real confidence, I have no way of knowing about how they used my test results.

Next week, there'll be a discussion about whether people who apply for jobs have a right to know to know whether their prospective employer has any links to the scientology organisation.

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" May 12th 1998

Just like most other companies, the companies which are run by members of scientology use the public job brokerage system ["Arbejdsformidlingen" - AF] when they are short of employees. But job-seekers have no opportunity to find out whether their prospective employer runs the company according to the management principles of scientology, and this may cause some problems. In the last two programmes, we have described how several cleaning companies which are owned by scientologists are run in a way which draws heavy criticism from the unions, and former employees have told how they've been treated unacceptably on several occations.

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" knows that, among others, the cleaning companies 'Your Cleaning' in Rødovre and 'The White Tornado' of Nørrebro have sought employees through the AF system, and through - for instance - the emplyment secretariats of Herlev and Farum councils.

Merete ågård has left scientology, and is today active in helping others leave the organisation which has meant economical ruin, and social and psychological problems, for many people. She is not comfortable about scientologists finding employees through the public systems.

MÅ:

I think it's completely wrong. I don't think that the AF, which is paid for by the Danish society, should broker jobs which cause people to run a significant risk of ending in scientology.

PGN:

I think that it's terrible that I'm in a situation where I have to do that. I think that anyone ... who doesn't inform about their personal beliefs are perfectly entitled to do so.

If people work for me, they should know [that I'm a scientologist] given the very distorted situation today around scientology.

KH:

And you can understand that some people would like to know this?

PGN:

Well, OK, it seem that I'm doing my employees a favour in this way. That isn't particularly the reason that I do this; when I introduced this policy, I thought it necessary exactly to have well-defined relations with my staff.

If someone doesn't want to work for a scientologist, they should be informed at the beginning so they can act right away and not find out much after the start of the job. In this way, people can avoid 'contributing' to something they don't like.

KH:

How come some of your fellow company owners in the cleaning business, when they're asked whether they're scientologists, they say no?

PGN:

I'm not the right person to answer that question.

KH:

.. and likewise, when their employees ask, they say no?

PGN:

Again, I'm the wrong person to answer this. I could speculate about it, but I can't come up with a concrete answer. Obviously, I have observed that the furore ["hetz"] that has been raised about scientology makes it a very risky subject to talk about, and for that matter for me to talk about at the present time, but .. one can discuss the truth in the compaign against scientology, and that has been very questionable, incredibly questionable, and has been very unequal so far. That might give people a fear to come forward as scientologists.

Says Per Ginge Nielsen.

In this country, no-one can demand that an employer informs about any connection to scientology, it's entirely up to the employer. That is not the case in Germany. There, the authorities even have people working to dig up information about professional activities of scientologists. In the job centers, the job-seekers can find out whether a job is in a company run by scientologists.

Norbert Baunach [?], NB:

Also, wir betragten diesen Information als eine wichtige Information ...

Norbert Baunach, who is a division manager in the German employment market office ["afdelingsleder i den Tyske arbejdsmarkedsstyrelse"] considers the information that a company is involved with scientology important for the job-seeker, as important as whether the job involves a lot of travelling or handling of dangerous chemicals. So, if the German job center knows that a company is run by scientologists, it's the duty of the job center to pass this information on, and it's the choice of the individual job-seeker whether he or she wants to take the job. The latter is not a matter for the job center, says Norbert Baunach.

In several German regions there are task forces which, among other things, have as their work to find infortmation about links between companies and scientology, and it is from these task forces that the job centers get their information. But the information can also come from employees who have been in touch with the companies in question.

Obviously, checks are made to ensure that the information is correct, and this is successful in all cases, says Norbert Baunach.

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" has looked into whether the same model could be used in the Danish job brokerage system. Several job center staff members we spoke to would like to be able to pas this information on, but they fear that they would not find backing for this from their superiors.

There are no rules about this, and the decisions are entirely left to the politicians. If irregularities are documented, information would be passed back to the authorities, where a political decision could be made.

The German model is probably not applicable in Denmark because of traditions of freedom of faith and association.

Head of public relations ["informationschef"] in the Danish branch of scientology, Annette Refstrup, AR, hopes that the German model will never be introduced in the Danish job centers. It would be discriminating, she says.

AR:

You don't ask people who run a cleaning company who are Christians that they are Christian and that the company is run according to general principles like 'love thy neighbour,' or that they're Muslims and they would like to be able to pray five times a day, or whatever it is their religion signifies, because the work they do has nothing to do with religion. That's why I think it's very problematic indeed that the question is raised if you're willing to indicate, that you're forced to indicate, what your religious conviction is, just because you're a scientologist. I find that very discriminating.

KH:

But several former employees have told me that they would like to have known this, before they applied for such a job.

AR:

But what has it meant? Have you asked them what this meant to them? Couldn't they easily have found another job in another company which would be exactly the same job in exactly the same conditions?

KH:

They told me that it made them feel bad. They do not want to work for a company which has any connection to scientology.

AR:

Do these people know what scientology is? If you really know what we do, you wouldn't think that it was something dangerous and horrible, you'd think it was fantastic and thank you very much for introducing me to this! [no, I am not mixing the personal pronouns in the translation, here...] I'm sure we can find someone who has met a scientologist in some situation, be it the workplace, a sports club or the family, who is grateful to have met someone who introduced them to this.

KH:

In Germany, for instance, there is a policy of inform in the job centers if job seekers want to find out whether a job is in a company with connections to scientology.

AR:

Yes, down there, there's a little 'S', there's a little 'S' next to the company name, this is equivalent to a little star of David. That means that if you're a scientologist, you are written down in a official registry as being that.

AR:

What do you mean 'it is equivalent to a star of David'?

AR:

It labels ["sætter mærke på"] those people, there's a label: here is a person who...

KH:

Why do you compare to the Jews?

AR:

Because they were also labelled...

Says head of public relations, Annette Refstrup. The German job centers pass along the information if they know that a company is connected to scientology. This is an approved policy, with backing from the highest political level, such as the German ministry of labour where Dieter Resle, DR, is division manager.

DR:

Ich kan mich nicht forstellen, das ein Betrieb der von einen überzeugten Scientologen...

"I cannot imagine that a company which is run by a scientologist isn't also run according to the principles of scientology and L Ron Hubbard. One is obliged to do so."

I asked Dieter Resle why Germany, in particular, has a practice such as this.

DR:

Das is jetz meine gantze persöhnliche Meinung. Vieleicht sind wir Deutschen etwas vorsichtiger, weil wir...

Hitler started out with a conviction which, to him, was religious, and led the country to disaster through a totaletarian system, so we know what we're talking about

Dieter Resle explains this there is a reason that Germany is more cautious towards scientology, that is: Hitler. Germany considers scientology a totaletarian organisation which seeks to take power in society. That's why a special effort is being made to inform about where scientologists are found in the employment market.

Former scientologist Merete Ågård says:

MÅ:

I think it's fair enough that there is information available that a given company is run by scientologists, to protect the indivudal employee.

KH:

But we do live in a democracy. There aren't any other groups where information about beliefs are demanded.

MÅ:

No, but in a democracy, there is also a tradition of protecting the weakest. In the relationship between the employer and the employee, the employee is the weakest. And, if the employer is a scientologist and runs the company according to scientology principles, it is clearly the employee who is the weakest, and the employee must be protected.

Lead-out:

It is Karin Høgh who in the last three weeks has looked at the way in which scientologists run companies. Next week, we wrap up with a comment about scientology.

"Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" May 19th 1998

At the end of the series about cleaning companies which are run or owned by scientologists, we have a comment by the journalist Tom Heinemann

Tom Heinemann to end:

Using company names like 'The White Rose,' 'The White Tornado' and 'Your Cleaning,' scientologists have started a series of cleaning companies which all have a common factor in that salary and work conditions are far removed from the norm in Denmark. The Scientology organisation is not alone in this respect: a large part of the cleaning business, with undeclared work ["sort arbejde" - black work, i.e. not declared to the tax authorities] and questionable relations with the unions, is in many ways more dirty than the offices where the employees clean.
Much of this appears to happen with the knowledge of the authorities and the unions, without any improvements in the conditions of the employees.

But in contrast to the many other movements and religious faiths whose members run cleaning companies, Scientology is not a discreet organisation. If criticism is raised by the unions or former employees and appears in the media the head public relations officer of scientology in Denmark, Annette Refstrup, throws herself straight into a long lament about persecuted innocents who are being campaigned against. She goes so far as to compare criticism of Scientology to the persecution of Jews in Hitler's Germany.

In the programme last week, Annette Refstrup asserted that one should not question who, or what organisation, is behind a job offer if one is looking for a job in, for instance, a cleaning company. She may very well be right, if she herself would abstain from trying to influence the employees. Because, as she said, if the employees didn't like working for scientologists, it could only have been because they didn't know how fantastic Scientology is, and they would actually have been grateful for being introduced to the American moneyproducer ["pengemaskine"] Scientology. This is exactly where she reveals herself, for if there's one thing which is demanded of a scientologist, it is to spread knowledge about Scientology and thus recruit new members into Scientology. And that's why it is not unimportant whether an employee knows that a company is run by scientologists or not.

The companies, or the scientologists if you like, hire people at a salary which is 20% below the usual level in that occupation. At the same time in some cases the employees sign exclusivity agreements, or they must pay 500 Kroner to leave the company before time. On a salary of 70 to 80 Kroner, even 500 Kroner is a significant amount.

The Mother of all the scientologist owned cleaning companies, and one of the first companies in Denmark, had the name 'The White Glove' ["Den Hvide Handske"]. Inspired by the elite group of scientology, 'Sea Organisation', where all officers wear bright white gloves and where contracts are signed for no less than one billion years, 'The White Glove' went so far as to be signed up as sponsors for the International Association of Scientologists - IAS. Here millions of dollars are spent on lawsuits and on full-page ads in the biggest newspapers in the world, where the movement refutes any and all criticism.

Precisely because Germany is one of the countries leading the criticism, IAS has repeatedly used the persecution of the Jews during the Hitler years as being equivalent to, amongst other things, the German requirement that one is obliged to reveal whether or not a cleaning company is being run by scientologists.

Back to 'The White Glove.' As so many times before when one investigates a scientologist-run company, the company went bankrupt and later reappeared under several new names. The latest branch on the tree is the company 'Professional Cleaning' ["Professionel Rengøring"] which is located in Fredriksberg in Copenhagen. The company is run by a well-known scientologist who was formerly a director of the failed company 'The White Glove.' In a leaflet which has been circulated to several businesses in Copenhagen, it is stated that 'Professional Cleaning' is, and I quote, 'a small family-run company which takes care of daily cleaning for a small portion of offices and institutions in Copenhagen. Because we focus on our employees, extra care is automatically taken of our clients who are our source of income.' And, continues the director: 'We have a handpicked staff,' end of quote.

After the latest revelations about low pay and questionable employment contracts, the scientologist is undoubtably right.

But it is not only in private cleaning companies that the scientologists break the rules. Another area which the tax authorities, employment inspectors ["arbejdstilsyn"] and unions should investigate is the work which is being carried out in the premises of the organisation itself in various locations in Copenhagen.

For example, in the headquarters in Jernbanegade, close to the town hall and Tivoli. A few years ago, an extensive renovation was carried out, including among other things a brand new roof. Most of the work was carried out by the scientologists themselves, but we have learnt that most of the roofing work was carried out by a regular roofing company, which nevertheless did the work completely undeclared. In spite of 110 Kroner per hour and no intervention from the taxman, some of the work was considered unsatisfactory or too dangerous. On the sixth floor, some renovation work was required on the part of the roof which faces the courtyard, out of the view of the general public. Without the benefits of scaffolding, life lines, or any other safety equipment, very young scientologists were balancing on the steep roof. According to a roofing worker who is not a scienolotist but who worked untaxed on the roofing - and therefore does not wish his name to be known - it was a near miracle that no-one fell from the roof.

This example, one of many, shows with the utmost clarity the respect scientology shows to its staff or to those members who think they've travelled to Denmark to study the writings of the founder, Lafayette Ron Hubbard.

Denmark may be known for its tolerant attitude to alternative ways of life or to different faiths. But when the authorities and the unions apparently continue to turn a blind eye to the, from a Danish perspective, lousy treatment which is meted out to the hundreds of scientologists who are crammed into bunk beds in old worn-down hotels owned by the organisation, and who have a daily work schedule of up to 15 hours, it is high time that a clear decision was made to examine the American organisation more closely.

This is not a case of a couple of private cleaning companies, who fiddle a bit with salaries and work conditions, but a systematic way in which a multi-national multi-million-dollar company is run. A system which puts the organisation before everything. And a system which perceives taxes, work regulations or any other involvement and control from authorities as a direct attack on the organisation and a profound violation of personal freedom.

The solution, therefore, is not that autorities, such as the AF, label scientology-owned companies with a small 'S' in a corner, as is seen in Germany. Seize the work contracts and the accounts of the companies. Here, one will undoubtably find so much dirt and dust that the authorites can easily clean up the cleaning companies, without being compared to racists, antisemitics, or whatever scientology could think of calling Danes.

Lead-out:

It was Tom Heinemann who with this comment closed the series in "Fra Arbejdsmarkedet" about the working methods of the scientology organisation.