Tue, 15 Oct, 2013 12:20:58 AM The last batch leaving Finland today FTimes-STT Report, October 15  File picture of Thai berry-pickers at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on October 8. Photo- Lehtikuva. Despite various efforts to settle down the salary disputes, 20 Thai berry pickers out of total 50 are to return home without drawing any salary.
The last batch of 16 members of the Thai group is scheduled to leave Helsinki Airport on Tuesday for Thailand while the rest 34 had already reached home in different phases from October 3, the representative of the berry pickers said.
The 16 berry pickers had to stay for more time as the Thailand Labour ministry, which is paying for their return tickets delayed to find out cheaper tickets for them.
“The berry pickers incurred on an average a loss of Euro 2000 while 20 of them even did not receive any salary,” the representative of the berry pickers, Taneli Hämäläinen told STT on Monday.
The pickers also met the ombudsmen of minority Eva Biaudet to explain their experience this time, said sources.
The group of 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.
They refused to take the salaries as they sensed the amount was much lower than they had agreed earlier.
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 most of the berry pickers had accepted the salary but few of them 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.
Earlier, on October 7, the government decided to form an inter-ministerial body to investigate into the situation of the foreign berry pickers in Finland.
The committee was formed following the salary dispute raised between a berry company and Thai berry pickers this year.
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.
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