In an interview published on Wednesday, Häkämies told the newspaper Savon Sanomat he thinks that double pay on Sundays is a relic of the past – a time when the day was set aside for church and rest.
Nowadays, he said, people are out and about on Sundays when stores are open.
As a sign of solidarity with the Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s and President Sauli Niinistö’s appeals for voluntary wage cuts, Häkämies also told the paper that he would be prepared to cut his own salary.
He took the EK CEO post in 2013 and earns 360,000 euros annually, the paper wrote.
Häkämies served as minister of economic affairs between June 2011 and November 2012 and is a member of the National Coalition Party.
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Foreign Minister Timo Soini, leaders of the two largest parties, both dismissed the idea later on Wednesday.