Industrial Union demands action over alleged abuse at Kotka battery plant

The Industrial Union is calling on the state shareholder to intervene in alleged labour abuses and other problems at a battery materials plant under construction in Kotka, Yle reports.

The union said the situation at the construction site had deteriorated rapidly and that pressure and threats were being used to make it harder to defend workers’ rights.

Industrial Union chair Riku Aalto said the union had received reports of serious problems involving the working conditions and treatment of Chinese workers.

“When attempts have been made to address these problems, workers have faced intense threats and pressure from a Chinese operator,” Aalto said in a statement.

The Industrial Union has investigated the situation together with the Construction Union. Aalto rejected the view that the allegations concerned only individual cases.

“The information we have received suggests that this is widespread and systematic labour exploitation. The situation at the Kotka construction site is critical from the perspective of workers’ rights,” Aalto said.

Aalto said the state shareholder must respond immediately. He said the Chinese operator had taken retaliatory measures that could worsen after the allegations became public.

Yle reported earlier on Monday that workers had been threatened with dismissal and being sent back to China.

The Industrial Union said the state shareholder must demand a thorough investigation into working conditions at the site, the treatment of workers and the Chinese operators’ practices. It also said workers must be able to describe their experiences freely without fear of losing their jobs or facing pressure or threats.

The client for the Kotka battery materials plant project is Easpring Finland New Materials, a Chinese-Finnish company. State-owned Finnish Minerals Group owns about 30 percent of the company, while ownership guidance is handled by the Prime Minister’s Office.