Trade Union PAM: Some of the seasonal workers in Lapland have been owed to their employers

According to the PAM Regional Manager, many seasonal workers are afraid to contact the union or the authorities. According to the employer side, a few players ruin the reputation of the whole industry.

In the winter tour of Lapland, there are references to even crimes referring to human trafficking.

In the Finnish Criminal Code, a lack of money calling for a disproportionate large amount of money in connection with the agreement, using his financial or other plight, incomprehension or thoughtlessness.

In principle, it can be interpreted as a work -related discrimination if the employer charges the employees, such as accommodation or other work, too much.

Some employers in the industry offer seasonal workers, for example, accommodation, the rent of which is directly charged for the salary.

Roadbasins will remain in debt smaller

Turpeinen compares the cases of berry picking in the tourism industry.

In the so -called berry picking cases, Thai berry pickers first took debt from the employer to arrive in Finland. However, the roads collected during the season were so small that the picker was virtually owed to the berry picking attempt.

According to Turpeinen, the same phenomenon is now available in tourism seasonal work, where most seasonal workers arrive in Lapland from abroad.

In cases of Thai berry pickers, the problem has often been language skills. For tourism workers, this is usually not a problem.

According to Turpeinen, it is often not known how the labor market operates in Finland.

– There is also ambiguity of what can help. Some may also come from countries where authorities are covered and people are afraid of contacting the trade union, says Turpeinen.

Employer side: Such actors spoil the reputation of others

– Lapland has a strong growth in tourism and seasonal labor is needed. We do not wish for actors who ruin the reputation of other employers.

Aittoniemi recognizes a situation where players who do not comply with Finnish collective agreements have come to the growing tourism industry.

– There are a number of wild actors who do not belong to us either. If the employee is owed to the employer at the end of the season, then somewhere badly went wrong, says Aittoniemi.

According to Aittoniemi, for example, problems finding the right accommodation for seasonal workers is a problem with which all operators in the industry are wrestling. Yle previously reported how up to dozens of seasonal workers have been accommodated in the same apartment.

– But that problem is not meant to solve as it has now done. All this is an unfortunate thing for Finnish tourism, says Aittoniemi.