Up to 2,000 contract labourers walk out over prospect of back taxes
Action spreads from Porvoo oil refinery to Turku, Pori, and Rauma
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Up to 2,000 contract labourers walked off their construction jobs at the Porvoo oil refinery on Tuesday , as well as the shipyards of Turku, Rauma, and Pori. Today, the workers at the construction site of the Neste Oil biodiesel plant at the refinery, said that they would continue their action.
The contract labourers, itinerant workers, who sometimes travel long distances to work at building sites and industrial installations, are concerned about implications of changes to tax legislation. Under the new rules, which took effect at the beginning of this year, contract labourers are entitled to tax-free per diems and compensation for travel expenses for two years, and contract labourers fear that they could face massive back taxes. Previously there were no clear time limits.
The legislative change has raised local anger especially among members one local branch of the Metalworkers’ Union in Helsinki. The walkout started in Porvoo, and spread during the day to other parts of the country.
The union itself denounced the action.
"The Metalworkers’ Union does not approve of this kind of action while contracts are in force", said Pertti Nurminen, head of negotiations for the union.
Risto Alanko, head of labour market affairs at Technology Industries of Finland, denounced the walkouts in sharp terms. He also said that the action cannot be formally seen as an illegal strike, because the target of the protest is Parliament, and not the present labour contract.
"We have no means to do anything about this. This is a key example of how gaps in the obligation to maintain industrial peace are blatantly taken advantage of." Alanko added that Finnish labour market mechanisms need to be fixed on the issue of industrial peace.
The striking contract labourers work for dozens of different subcontractors, which in turn are commissioned by larger companies.
At the Turku shipyard, the action is first affecting the construction of a luxury cruise liner being built by Aker Yards, which is scheduled for delivery next month.
Among the worst hit are YIT Industrial and Network Services. At YIT’s building site of the Neste Diesel project, 350 fitters walked out, as well as 50 people in supervisory positions. "Foreign labour is still working. We are trying to minimise damage, but this is a challenge for the project’s timetable", says CEO Pekka Frantti.
However, he also has some understanding for the situation. "Naturally we are worried if the attraction of contract work is threatened. It is hard work; people have to be away from home and their families, and it is not easy to get people to stay at work if the tax incentive is dropped. The employers are scapegoats in this."
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 29.3.2006 - TODAY |
 Up to 2,000 contract labourers walk out over prospect of back taxes
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