Director of International Cultural Centre Caisa dismissed

Director Johanna Maula believes she is victim of a personal vendetta

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Johanna Maula, the director of the Helsinki-based International Cultural Centre Caisa, is to be dismissed from her position.
      The City of Helsinki Culture and Library Board decided on Maula’s dismissal on Tuesday. The decision was unanimous.
      The reason behind the sacking was an inflamed situation that has continued for some time. In the confrontation, Maula’s opponent has been City of Helsinki Acting Cultural Director Veikko Kunnas.
      Kunnas has issued Maula two warnings regarding the carrying out of her duties and finally insisted on her dismissal.
      Maula, in turn, filed a counter-complaint against Kunnas and a labour welfare complaint with the Regional State Administrative Agency of Southern Finland.
     
“Regarding the matter, a long discussion was held in the Culture and Library Board’s meeting. Furthermore, everybody had acquainted themselves with the abundant material that accompanied the case”, explained Culture and Library Board Chairwoman Anni Sinnemäki (Green League).
      According to Sinnemäki, the selection process for a new director will begin immediately.
     
”Hearing the decision is lamentable, because I have received a lot of support from the immigrant organisations and the Caisa employees. I believe more than 3,000 people appealed to the board”, Maula commented on the outcome on Tuesday evening.
      Maula says she will continue the fight to keep her job, because in her opinion the material delivered to the board was one-sided.
      According to Maula, her trade union has promised to take the case forward. The last resort would be to complain to the Administrative Court.
      “One of the stated arguments was that I had management style issues, even though when comparing various municipal offices the points that I have received for incentiveness and satisfaction from my workers have been among the highest.”
     
Maula still believes that she has fallen victim of a personal vendetta by Acting Cultural Director Kunnas.
      Maula reckons that she will be reinstated if a court rules that the dismissal was illegal.
     
The International Cultural Centre Caisa was established in 1996, and exists "to support the development of a diversified city by promoting interaction between people from different countries, encouraging the independent original practice of new ethnic minority cultures whilst integrating them into Finnish society and giving out information on Finland".
      The main building is located in Mikonkatu, close to the Railway Station and Kaisaniemi Metro station.


See also:
  Immigrants and the difficulties of integration and getting into the cultural mainstream (8.6.2010)

Links:
  Caisa

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