Finland’s tax authorities made public annual tax data public Monday morning, which always results in a frenzy of paper media spreadsheets detailing those who Finns have earned the most and those who must pay the most in back taxes. It is a much-anticipated opportunity each year for Finns to peek into the lives of the rich and famous.
Tabloid Iltalehti lays the groundwork for the imminent announcement with an analysis of the gender pay gap, stating that women in Finland still earn 78 percent of male earnings on average. For men, the average wage for regular work was 3,900 euros per month last year, while the corresponding average was 3,100 euros for women.
Statistics Finland number-crunchers found that Finnish women earned 71 percent of the male average wage in 1995 and now earn 78 percent. No perceptible change has been observed in the last four years. The pay gap is higher in Finland than in the other Nordics at 22 percent, as in Denmark the wage gap was 14.9 percent in 2012 and in Sweden it was 15.9 percent. In Estonia, however, a woman’s work is worth 30 percent less than a man’s.
Too many buses to feed
The country’s leading daily Helsingin Sanomat begins on Monday with a story on the increasingly fierce competition among bus companies in Helsinki. Onnibus, a new budget coach carrier in Finland, picks up passengers in front the Kiasma Museum downtown, but the line’s increasing popularity has caused problems by plugging the central square and using all the available parking space in the area. Onnibus expanded its bus network in July, and now operates over 30 departures daily from the city centre.
Although passengers praise the convenience of the stop’s location, other feel the area around Kiasma is already too crowded. Charter buses that also use the stop have often been forced to park elsewhere. Coach operator Åbergin Linja has submitted a complaint to the Helsinki City Planning Department and the traffic supervisory Uusimaa ELY Centre. Despite the situation, Onnibus was permitted to continue using the Kiasma space for another year, while negotiations take place to transfer the stop to the nearby Kamppi bus terminal. Finland’s largest bus company and Onnibus' competitor, Matkahuolto, steers the Kamppi operations.
Police considered warning Utsjoki school
Finland’s second major tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reports on the recent fatal stabbing in Lapland, in which a 31-year-old adult student killed a 16-year-old youth during the school day. The killer had an extensive criminal history, but the police were not allowed to warn the Utsjoki School and social welfare office of the suspect’s background.
Lapland Police Chief Martti Kallio says the matter was discussed in August. The police were however prohibited by law from divulging the classified information to a third party without a pressing reason. In other words, a clear threat to a person or place had to first be established. Considering the events that transpired, some local residents feel the school administration should have been informed. The school’s rector did not wish to comment on the matter.
Wolves in Sotkamo
And to finish, the Oulu-based newspaper Kaleva says that reports of wolves on the loose in the northern city Sotkamo have kept children and pet animals inside of late. Several wolf sightings have been made since the onset of autumn, and special transportation has been arranged for local children so they needn’t walk alone long distances. Four family dogs have been killed by the wolves thus far and one was wounded.