Seasonal workers in Lapland's tourism industry are continually report worries about short training periods, poor condition of equipment and insufficient rest periods, said Henna-Kaisa Turpeinen, the service union PAM's regional manager for Lapland.
In February, a foreign woman working as a guide on a snowmobile safari died after colliding with a tree during a 40km trek on the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. She had started work in late 2023.
The Regional State Administrative Agency (Avi) issued an occupational safety report on the matter, according to which the employer neglected to consider the risks.
Turpeinen was not surprised by the Avi statement.
"We have been asked several times by employees how long the time between work shifts should be. Safari guides have come across situations where their shift ends in the early morning hours and they are called back to work a few hours later," said Turpeinen.
By law, the rest period must be at least eight hours between work shifts.
Turpeinen said that employees are not given required weekly rest days off during the peak season.
"This also has a significant impact on safety. Of course, rest periods have been agreed upon in collective agreements, and they must be followed," said Turpeinen.
"A persistent phenomenon"
According to Turpeinen, seasonal workers often cite insufficient training.
"Unfortunately, it is common. A person may say that they received very short training, for example, in using a snowmobile, and pretty quickly are sent out to lead safaris and take care of tourist groups," she said.
The condition of equipment is also a common concern, with employees reporting that warning lights are on in vehicles and tyres are not in condition for winter driving, for instance.
Such reports come from seasonal workers consistently throughout the season. The busiest part of the season usually extends from mid-November to early March.
"We’re not talking about dozens, but the number is large enough that it raises concerns. We get questions on a monthly basis," Turpeinen said.
Certain companies emerge as persistent matters of concern, with the union receiving worried calls from their employees every year.
"It’s an ongoing phenomenon. There may be a complaint about some company, after which the matter is fixed immediately. But there are also places where this is a persistent phenomenon, where things don't get better even after years," she said.
However, according to Turpeinen, the number of security-related complaints received by PAM has remained relatively steady in recent years.
Fear about raising grievances
Foreign seasonal workers do not necessarily have information on Finnish law or whom to contact for help with particular issues. Some of them only come to work in Finland for a few months.
Turpeinen said that employees have "genuine fears" about whether they will lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country if they raise grievances.
She expressed the hope that firms have not overlooked proper training during this record-busy year for tourism.
"Even if you’re in a hurry, you can’t forget safety and the importance of training," she told Yle.
Turpeinen suggested that safari guides should be required to earn certificates of competence.
"For example, a person should have a certain level of competence to use a snowmobile and become a guide. This is a question of the safety of both the employees and the tourists," she added.
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