PAM’s Koivuniemi: Slave labour has no place in Finland!
Niina Koivuniemi, Organisation Director at Service Union United PAM, urges people to demand fair treatment in working life and hopes that people’s feeling of security is not undermined further.
In Koivuniemi’s opinion, part-time work, odd jobs and zero-hours contracts are some of the biggest injustices facing workers’ living conditions today, and they also put legal protections in working life at risk.
- This is not fair. We have to address these problems and lay down some rules. Work must provide a living, and working conditions, working hours and wages must be such that workers aren’t just slaves dangling on a loose rope, Koivuniemi demands.
Koivuniemi points out that workers are entitled to ask their employer to update their employment contract, demand full-time work and additional hours.
- Often workers do lots of overtime without their employment contract being updated. At worst this can mean that if a person is ill or if their employer doesn’t like their face, their working hours can drop right down to zero, Koivuniemi says.
According to Koivuniemi, the political tone has become harsher towards ordinary working people. In her opinion, the actions of the government and the forces on the political right have continually questioned the very right of trade union movement to exist.
- We are in a situation where open attacks by the political right in this country against the trade union movement have increased. These forces want to create open season in Finland’s labour market, Koivuniemi says.
- We don’t want Finland to regress or return to the age of slave labour. There are many examples of countries where people are forced to work in inhumane conditions and for inadequate pay. The trade union movement does not accept working life like this, and especially not within Finland’s borders, Koivuniemi states.
Koivuniemi says that people’s feeling of security is being undermined further. She demands an end to this frightening development to stop Finnish society working against itself.
- The trade union movement stands ready to develop Finland and the life of Finns through negotiation. By working together we have to be able to foster a fair society where humanity, caring for the weakest members and solidarity are values that are never compromised. For example, an openly racist environment cannot be tolerated in Finland and has to be addressed immediately, Koivuniemi states.
Niina Koivuniemi, Organisation Director at Service Union United PAM, spoke at the May Day celebration in Rauma on 1 May 2017. News item first published in Finnish on 1 May 2017.