The Orpo cabinet's plans to weaken employers' protection against dismissal could violate Finland's international agreements, the main labour federation warns.
The right-wing government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) aims to make it easier for employers to dismiss workers, but the main blue-collar labour confederation warns that could run afoul of international labour treaties.
In its programme issued just over a month ago, the government said that "the regulation on the grounds for termination of a person will be amended so that in future, terminating an employment contract based on proper grounds would be sufficient".
Such a weakening of employees' protection against dismissal goes against international agreements, according to Anu-Tuija Lehto, Legal Adviser to the Central Association of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).
Under current Finnish law, an employer cannot terminate an employment contract without a "valid and compelling reason".
In a statement published on the SAK website on Monday, Lehto said that such a change is not possible according to international agreements that bind Finland or the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Lehto noted that under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, management must have a valid basis for any dismissal. She also pointed out that the Council of Europe's Revised European Social Charter stipulates that the European laws must protect everyone from unjustified dismissal.
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