Finland’s berry disaster continues – The Finnish and Thai ministers will negotiate subsequent – 2024-07-26 16:08:03

Thai pickers have been an important a part of the Finnish berry trade. Inventory picture. Jukka Olkkonen

Finnish and Thai authorities mentioned the state of affairs of Thai berry pickers on Friday, however in line with STT, a call has not but been reached.

Board advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Financial Affairs Jarmo Tiukkanen informed STT that the Minister of Labour Arto Satonen (kok) will focus on the matter with the Thai Labor Minister on Tuesday.

In March, the Ministry of International Affairs suspended the reception of berry pickers’ Schengen visa purposes in Thailand. The choice was based mostly on suspicions of human trafficking in berry corporations.

The Ministry of International Affairs has since granted greater than 900 residence permits to berry pickers, however the pickers additionally want a allow to depart the nation, which has not been granted. The Thai authorities have been involved concerning the pickers’ working situations and the phrases of the employment relationship.

Not a single Thai wild berry picker has arrived in Finland but. Prior to now, pickers have come to Finland with vacationer visas.

The absence of Thai pickers threatens to depart a big a part of industrial berries uncollected. Govt director of the Arctic aromas affiliation Birgitta Partanen estimates for Iltalehte that round 90 % of those berries are collected by Thai pickers.

– If the pickers cannot come right here in any respect, we’re already in massive hassle, Partanen mentioned.