Finnish Minerals Group orders probe into Kotka battery plant labour claims

Finnish Minerals Group has commissioned an external investigation into alleged labour abuses at the construction site of a battery materials plant in Kotka, Yle reported on Monday.

The investigation will be conducted by an independent expert familiar with Finnish labour law and construction practices. The company said it would establish what happened and publish the findings.

Finnish Minerals Group chief executive Matti Hietanen said the investigation would begin immediately. A law firm with expertise in labour law and international construction had been considered, but the final choice had not yet been made.

“The important thing is that it is done carefully and without rushing,” Hietanen said when asked how quickly the investigation would be completed.

The Industrial Union said Chinese equipment installers at the construction site had been required to sign an employment contract that was illegal under Finnish conditions. The union also said some workers had been threatened with dismissal and being sent back to China.

The union suspects work-related exploitation and earlier on Monday called on the state-owned company to intervene.

Finnish-Chinese plant operator Easpring Finland, Chinese main contractor CHEC and Finnish Minerals Group said they took the allegations very seriously.

The companies said they knew of a disagreement between one subcontractor and its employees over the terms of employment. According to the companies, the matter had been addressed with the workers and an agreement had been reached.

The companies also said authorities had carried out several inspections at the site, but had found no evidence of systematic abuses or structural problems.

They stressed that work-related exploitation, violations of workers’ rights, coercion, threats and unlawful recovery of wages were unacceptable. The companies said they would cooperate with authorities and labour market organisations if necessary.