Every foreigner has the same rights at work as Finnish citizens

08/07/2020

A dirty business

Immigrants clean schools, kindergartens, grocery stores and restaurants in Finland. Many companies exploit their workers with impunity. The scale of exploitation is wide. At worst cleaners work without pay and sleep on the worksite. Read a story by Helsingin Sanomat 5.7.2020

Do you feel like you might have been a victim of exploitation? You can get help from Victim Support Finland (RIKU) anonymously and free of charge. Contact Pia Marttila at help@riku.fi or +358406309669, Saara Pihlaja at +358406212443, or Kati Iskala at +358406201062.

Video: Every foreigner has the same rights at work as Finnish citizens (English)

No employee should submit to inappropriate treatment, underpayment, too long work days, or dangerous working conditions.

The Finnish laws and any international agreements that bind Finland are applied to work performed in Finland. Usually also a collective labour agreement applies. These agreements determine work-related rights and obligations, such as the minimum wage. The purpose of the agreements is to protect employees.

If you encounter problems in your work, help is available - see the links below. You may also seek help from a lawyer, for example.

  • If the working conditions at your workplace are not good, you may ask for advice from the occupational safety and health authorities.
  • If you are unsure what kind of work your residence permit entitles you to do, the authorities that have granted the permit will advise you.
  • If you find out that the law is being broken at your workplace, you may always turn to the police.
  • If you are not paid an appropriate salary (at least the minimum wage you are entitled to, or the salary stated in your employment contract) or if you are given work shifts that are too long, perhaps without appropriate breaks, your employer may be committing a crime. You may report the matter to the police or the occupational safety and health authorities.
  • If you are a member of a trade union, you may ask for help from your trade union or an employees' representative.
  • Other pages:

Source The Finnish Immigration Services: https://migri.fi/en/problems-at-work-

Learn the ground rules at work - free booklet available in English, Arabic, Estonian and Russian

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