PAM imposes hiring ban on Lapland tourism company over worker exploitation claims

The Finnish Service Union United (PAM) has placed Nordic Unique Travels, a tourism company operating in Lapland, under a hiring ban, Yle reports. The union says the company has repeatedly and knowingly violated the collective agreement for the program services sector and pressured employees to remain silent about the breaches.

“This is a business model based on the exploitation of workers,” PAM union director Risto Kalliorinne said in a statement.

The company responded through its lawyer, Johannes Ahola, who told Yle that Nordic Unique Travels admits to some mistakes but considers the union’s allegations largely exaggerated or unfounded. Ahola described the workplace safety claims as “entirely unfounded.” He said the company intends to correct all deficiencies and begin negotiations with PAM.

A hiring ban protects workers from losing unemployment benefits if they refuse a job offer from the company, and it urges PAM members and others not to apply for positions there during the ban. PAM’s northern Finland regional manager, Henna-Kaisa Turpeinen, said the move is unusual for the union and reflects the seriousness of the situation.

According to PAM, problems with the company began shortly after its founding in 2018. The union alleges unpaid training disguised as courses, improper confidentiality agreements, unpaid overtime, neglect of rest periods and workplace safety, and persistent inappropriate treatment of staff. The issues have not been resolved despite contact and a supervision letter to the employer federation, PAM said.

The company employs between 60 and 100 workers, mostly foreign seasonal staff recruited from abroad.

In 2024, Yle reported the death of a foreign safari guide working for Nordic Unique Travels. The regional state administrative agency (AVI) found at the time that the company had not adequately assessed workplace risks.