Building union threatens strike at Olkiluoto nuclear reactor site

As a result of some irregularities surrounding the payment of wages by subcontractor Rimec Ltd, the Finnish Construction Trade Union (Rakennusliitto) has issued a strike warning for the construction site of Olkiluoto III, Finland's fifth nuclear reactor.
     
A possible strike would begin in two weeks, involving about 1,000 workers, unless the irregularities can be cleared up by then.
      The new power plant of the Finnish nuclear power company Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) is being built in Olkiluoto by a consortium formed by Areva and Siemens, using a number of subcontractors.
      The main subcontractor is the French Bouygues Travaux Publics, which has hired the international recruitment firm Rimec to supply the company with skilled workers.
     
Rimec has employed nearly 300 Polish construction workers for Bouygues Travaux Publics.
      According to the Finnish Construction Trade Union, Rimec withholds around 30 % of their employees' salaries for tax and social insurance payments.
      In spite of several requests, the company has not been willing to specify to which country the payments are paid, what is the withholding rate, and whether or not the payments have been sent further.
      ”We do not want to cause any additional difficulties for the nuclear construction site, which has already been delayed. Neither do we blame anybody. However, the payroll administration of an international company with thousands of employees should be able to submit the requested information in a couple of hours”, says Kyösti Suokas, the Vice-Chairman of the Finnish Construction Trade Union.
      Moreover, the holiday pay of employees has been too low in the view of the union, and there have allegedly been some problems relating to occupational health as well.
     
Several Polish construction workers who are working at Olkiluoto have joined the Finnish Construction Trade Union, asking the union to assist them in the irrregularities relating to their employment.
      The Finnish Construction Trade Union has been negotiating with Rimec and Bouygues without arriving at any results.
      Even 40 Finnish workers are being employed by Bouygues at the nuclear plant construction site. The payments of their wages and taxes are made properly.
     
The total number of employees in the Olkiluoto III construction site is 3,600 workers, drawn from more than 50 countries.
      Last week, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy requested the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) provide additional information on the work at the construction site for the new nuclear plant at Olkiluoto.
      The plant was initially scheduled to go into service in 2009, but work is at least 24 months behind schedule and commissioning has now been put back to 2011.
      Olkiluoto III is a European Pressurized Water Reactor, with a net electrical output of around 1600 MW.
      Two of Finland's existing four nuclear reactors are on the Olkiluoto site in Eurajoki, and the others are in Loviisa on the south coast.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Pekkarinen calls for additional information from nuclear safety authority over working practices at Olkiluoto reactor site (22.8.2008)
  Greenpeace calls for suspension of construction on new nuclear reactor and safety review (14.8.2008)
  Further delay in construction of Olkiluoto-3 nuclear reactor (5.12.2006)

Links:
  The Finnish Construction Trade Union
  OL3 Project (TVO)
  Areva