Construction workers without permits discovered at Santahamina garrison site
Eight Polish bricklayers have been working without the necessary permits at the Santahamina garrison, where old barracks are currently under renovation.
The illegal workers were caught two weeks ago. The Finnish Construction Trade Union was informed that the subcontractor responsible for bricklaying had brought extra employees to the construction site, and the union sent its representative to enquire about the wages of the Poles.
The men were no longer on the island at the time.
Martti Sedoff, a representative of Serak, the main contractor of the Santahamina construction project, assured the Construction Trade Union on Tuesday that the company had no idea that there were workers without the required permits at the site.
Sedoff also observed that the Polish bricklayers did high-quality work, and that they worked only for two hours, after which the military police had them removed.
Pauli Arrenius from Samatek, the company responsible for the project's bricklaying, explained that the Poles were employees of one of Samatek's subcontractors. Arrenius maintains that the men worked for five days, and that Samatek was not told that foreigners are not allowed at barracks construction sites.
According to Sedoff, Samatek representatives did know that no foreigners could be brought to the area.
Access to a military area always requires a separate permit, and the permit process includes a security inspection. Foreigners are normally never granted such permits.
Serak may lose the Santahamina contract as a result of the incident.
Previously in HS International Edition:
Many foreign students receiving only trainee wages for summer work (3.8.2004)
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 25.8.2004 - TODAY |
Construction workers without permits discovered at Santahamina garrison site
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