Why Finnish Unions Should Stand Against the Orpo Government’s Migration Reforms
The Finnish government's reforms related to labor, industry, and immigration threaten to entrench inequality and weaken Finland's historically egalitarian labor model. A recent policy brief and report by the JUSTMIG project examines the conditions of temporary migrant workers in Finland, and how their situation could be improved.
The policy report is presented by Professor Nathan Lillie and Postdoctoral Researcher Quivine Ndomo from the University of Jyväskylä. The policy recommendation focuses on migrant workers in the care sector.
Migrant workers in Finland – particularly in the care sector, where they are increasingly concentrated – already face structural disadvantages due to socio-economic and legal limitations imposed by their temporary residence permits, non-recognition of foreign qualifications and expertise, employer discrimination, and exploitative recruitment practices.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link: The government’s agenda risks deepening migrants' vulnerability by promoting circular migration, limiting pathways to permanent residence, and making them more susceptible to substandard working conditions. This undermines the bargaining power of all workers, as a weaker migrant workforce inevitably paves the way to lower industry-wide labour standards", comments Ndomo.
The position of trade unions in Finnish society is under threat
The position of trade unions in Finnish society is under threat – this not only means a weaker position for Finnish workers, but also threatens the rights of those in the weakest position - particularly migrant workers
According to Lillie and Ndomo, the reforms implemented by the government are setting society back, and the aim of the migrant measures is to create a class of workers with fewer rights. The situation is in danger of deteriorating rapidly if trade unions, Finnish workers, and migrant workers do not join forces, interpret the government's reforms as a common threat, and take effective action to resist them.
“The reforms deepen the insecurity and disposability of migrant workers by stripping away protections and thereby risking turning them into a channel through which declining labour standards are normalised across the workforce,” Ndomo explains.
"Employers and the government are seeking to create a segment of the labour force which lacks the social protections Finnish workers take for granted. This allows them to set temporary migrants into wage competition with other workers. The situation is in danger of deteriorating rapidly if trade unions, Finnish workers, and migrant workers do not join forces to oppose this," Lillie warns.
Recommendations for action to improve the conditions of migrant workers
The JUSTMIG project drew up recommendations for decision-makers, trade unions, and employees to help improve the conditions of migrant workers in Finland:
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Unions and allies should develop cross-sector strategies beyond collective bargaining that link residence security, qualification recognition, and anti-discrimination into plans to safeguard the care workforce.
- Expand the mandate and organising strategies of unions to build collectivism and solidarity between migrant and Finnish care workers, especially in segmented workplaces, by adopting socially grounded, inclusive representation models.
“Trade unions should also oppose restrictive immigration policies that increase precariousness and undermine professional standards in nursing care provided by migrants,” Lillie and Ndomo recommend.
About the project
The EU-funded JUSTMIG project aims to research the labour conditions of temporary migrant workers, and the impact on industrial relations systems of increasing temporary labour migration. The project consortium is led by the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI) and includes eight partners from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
