Seasonal employees from abroad for critical primary production sectors – entrepreneurs contribute to costs of charter flights
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has submitted a list to the Finnish Boarder Guard of seasonal employees that are the most critical for enterprises operating in the agriculture, forestry, horticulture and fishery sectors. The Boarder Guard will decide on the entry of these employees to Finland.
Finland is making preparations for the entry to the country of about 1,500 seasonal employees for the primary production sectors. Most of them would work as supervisors or in other special primary production tasks, mainly on farms and in horticulture enterprises, but workforce may also be needed for critical tasks in forestry and fisheries.
Seasonal employees to be allowed to enter Finland have been listed on the basis of information collected from agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fisheries enterprises. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry conducted an urgent online inquiry on 7–9 April to map out the need for employees.
The majority of the seasonal employees (2/3) would be expected from Ukraine, but some of them will also come from within the EU, e.g. from the Baltic States, Romania and Bulgaria. The list compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is a recommendation that is based both on the needs reported by the enterprises and on the highly important security of supply perspective.
The Finnish Boarder Guard will decide on the entry of each employee on a case-by-case basis on the grounds of the Government decision of 6 April 2020. The other conditions for entry that apply at all times must also be fulfilled.
Ministry to send an email to farms and enterprises
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will send an email to the enterprises to inform them of the proposed quotas for their foreign seasonal employees. After that, the farms and enterprises concerned may start further preparations for the entry of the employees to Finland.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, countries have imposed restrictions on leaving the country. The final permission to leave the country is always given by the posting country, which is why the national procedures in countries where the seasonal employees come from must also be taken into account in the schedules.
All employees coming from abroad will be placed in quarantine for two weeks. The employer is responsible for organising the quarantine and for monitoring the health of the employees. The employers must also make sure that the person entering the country will move directly and safely from the border to the quarantine facilities.
Charter flights planned for seasonal employees
If necessary, charter flights will be organised to bring seasonal employees to Finland.
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK will coordinate the flights from Ukraine for seasonal employees and will give further information on this. The entrepreneurs may inform about the need for charter flights at Töitä Suomesta (‘Work from Finland’) service (www.töitäsuomesta.fi).
The costs of any flights that may be organised will be covered by the entrepreneurs in need of seasonal employees and the employees using them.
The need for workforce from abroad on farms and enterprises is still great and urgent. According to Permanent Secretary Jaana Husu-Kallio, these 1,500 persons will not be enough to meet the need, but they will ease the situation on many farms with respect to experienced workforce.
- It is quite obvious that, as the growing season proceeds, 1,500 persons can only manage a certain proportion of the work to be done. The operators should also use domestic labour and make use of the employment services specialised in this. The vacancies are open for domestic employees as well.
Supply of domestic seasonal workforce is promoted at www.töitäsuomesta.fi and TE services. Vacancies can be announced on both websites.
Inquiries:
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 400 291 910, firstname.lastname@mmm.fi
Taina Vesanto, Director of Unit, p. +358 295 162 405, firstname.lastname@mmm.fi
Janne Impiö, Communications Director, tel. +358 50 3306065, firstname.lastname@mmm.fi
Website: https://mmm.fi/en/coronavirus
Ministry for Foreign Affairs:
Leena Liukkonen, Deputy Director General of the Consular Services, tel. +358 295 351 547, firstname.lastname@formin.fi
Finnish Border Guard:
For citizens: +358 50 597 2255 (beween 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
