Finland's Minister of the Interior appeals to Frontier Guard strikers

print this

Finland's Minister of the Interior Kari Rajamäki (SDP) is appealing to the Border Guards' Union to cease the ongoing strike by the personnel of the Finnish Frontier Guard. Minister Rajamäki expressed concern about the frontier security, and said that the security particularly at the eastern border is hardly satisfactory even now.
      Rajamäki hopes that the negotiations would reach a rapid solution. He was not willing to comment, however, on whether or not the government intends to intervene in the dispute.
     
The Border Guards' Union started its strike at the eastern border on Tuesday of last week.
      As a result of the strike the controlling of the country's south-eastern border crossings has been performed by a quarter of the normal staff. However, the Finnish Customs as well as the Russian border officials have been continuing their inspections normally.
      The border inspections have been focused on travellers arriving from outside the EU and EEA, while there have been no inspections for those crossing into Russia.
      According to the Border Guards' Union, the inspections have been almost non-existent.
     
Finland's Ministry of the Interior admitted on Wednesday that the decision by the Finnish Frontier Guard to stop inspecting passports of travellers crossing the border from Finland into Russia is a violation of the Schengen Treaty after all.
      Apparently, the strike has caused no concern abroad. Minister Rajamäki reported giving an account on the strike to the Ministers of Interior of the other EU countries in Luxemburg last Friday. His account was received with wishes of progress for the negotiations. Russia has not expressed any official concern about the ongoing labour dispute, either.
     
The parties to the dispute are still far from a settlement. The representatives of the Finnish Frontier Guard and the Border Guards' Union are to meet the National Conciliator Juhani Salonius today to resume their talks.
      The strikers have been upset, as the Frontier Guard has ordered non-commissioned officers, who are members of some other unions, to take over the so-called safety work. The Border Guards' Union has labelled them as strikebreakers.
      The first phase of the strike, which started a week ago, will end this Saturday. If there is no progress in the negotiations, Finland's border guards are threatening to start a new strike on the week of the Midsummer holiday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Border guards threaten to expand strike to airports and harbours (8.6.2005)
  Non-inspection of passports does violate Schengen Treaty after all (6.6.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat