Young Estonians especially interested in working in Finland
SAK wants mandatory registration of foreign temp agencies
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Most Estonians say that they want to stay in their own country work after Estonia becomes a member of the European Union at the beginning of May. However, a small proportion of Estonians are also interested in the possibility of working in Finland.
According to a fresh survey, 13% of Estonians say that Finland would be the country where they would most like to go to work. Nine percent named Finland as a second choice.
In the survey, by TNS Gallup, about 1,000 Estonians were asked which countries they would like to work in for shorter or longer periods of time when Estonia becomes a member of the EU.
The interviews were conducted in February. The study was commissioned by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).
The results of the survey put Finland and Germany on approximately equal footing. Two years ago, Germany was the overwhelming favourite.
Eight percent of Estonians said that they were very interested in working in Finland. The SAK says that this would amount to a total of about 84,000 people.
About half of Estonians have no desire to go to Finland, indicating minimal change from the three previous surveys.
Desire to work in Finland was greatest among Estonians under the age of 25, as well as students and the unemployed. Members of Estonia's Russian minority were more interested in working in Finland than the rest of the population.
Finland was named as the primary target country mainly by those Estonians who felt that they could seek work in service industries, sales, construction work, cleaning, electrical work, or the manufacturing industries.
Germany and EU member states other than Finland were more popular for those with a higher education.
Under proposed legislation under consideration in Parliament, Estonians and citizens of the other new EU member states would not have immediate free access to the Finnish labour market. The bill would mandate a two-year interim period before free movement of labour is implemented.
On Tuesday SAK vice chairman Matti Viialainen urged the government to make sure that Parliament pass the law in its original form.
The SAK also wants the government to enact measures to require that all foreign temp agencies providing foreign labour to Finnish companies register with Finnish tax authorities. The SAK feels that such companies should be required to report wages paid to the workers to Finnish authorities regardless of whether or not the income is taxed in Finland, or in other countries, such as Estonia or Poland.
The demand was prompted by union fears that the restrictions on movement of labour could be circumvented by temp agencies taking advantage of the free movement of services.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 14.4.2004 - TODAY |
 Young Estonians especially interested in working in Finland |
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