File picture of Rautaruukki Engeneering and Metal Company in Raahe. Photo Lehtikuva.
International Development Minister Pekka Haavisto, also responsible for corporate governance, had to cancel a scheduled visit on Monday to the state-run Rautaruukki steel factory in Raahe in the face of workers’ protest.
Factory sources said workers went on a strike protesting the minister’s visit. They did not turn up in the morning and the day shift in support of the strike, resulting in the cancellation of the scheduled visit.
The sources said an estimated 1,000 employees did not report to work on Monday.
The International Development minister, Pekka Haavisto. Photo Lehtikuva.
The workers believe the minister has been indifferent to them and their opinions.
“In our opinion, Haavisto has reacted indifferently to workers and their opinions in the process of merger between Rautaruukki and SSAB,” said Mika Vuoti, head shop steward at the factory.
Vuoti stressed that the workers had in the past maintained that the company should stick to its state-owned status.
In January, it was announced that Swedish steel company SSAB and Rautaruukki would merge.
Responding to the snub, Haavisto wrote in his blog that there seems to be old discordance between the workers and the management. “A minister’s visit is often associated with a lot of expectations. In this case, this is how it fell apart.”
The minister pointed out that the role of a representative of a state-owned corporation is to think about the financial situation as well as to take into account wider corporate responsibilities like environment.
Haavisto, however, expected to meet the head shop steward.
