Finland Times

 

File picture of a 57-year-old berry picker. Photo - Str/ Lehtikuva

The government on Monday decided to form an inter-ministerial body to investigate into the situation of the foreign berry pickers in Finland.

 

Headed by the chief director of the Ministry of Employment and Economy, Markku Wallin, the committee has been asked to submit its report by February next year, ministry sources said.

 

The committee comprising of officials from various concerned ministries, will also include the representatives of berry companies and foreign missions of the countries who send berry pickers in Finland to find out the reasons behind the disputes created very often between the company owners and the berry pickers.

 

The committee was formed following the salary dispute raised between a berry company and Thai berry pickers this year.

 

A group of about 50 Thai berry pickers who worked in Ber-Ex berry company at Saarijärvi area in Eastern Finland, filed a criminal case with the police against their employer.

 

File picture of Thai berry-pickers on the bus. Photo -Str/Lehtikuva.

They refused to take the salaries as they sensed the amount was much lower than they had agreed earlier.

 

Although nine of the Thai berry pickers who had disagreed with the salary offered by a berry company left Finland on October 3, the rest 41 are still in Helsinki and scheduled to leave in next couple of days.

 

Earlier, the berry pickers alleged that they were given misleading information about their earning by picking berries in Finland.

 

Berry company Ber-Ex said that some of the berry pickers had accepted the salary but others declined as they thought the amount was low.

 

They claimed that they were the victims of human trafficking, but allegation was rejected by the prosecutor.