Together with its member unions and the reception centre of Kirkkonummi, STTK organizes training on Finnish working life and its rules to asylum seekers. – We want to contribute to the efforts to help those arriving here integrate in the Finnish society, working life and culture, chairman Antti Palola says.
STTK hopes that asylum seekers’ integration will be a real success. – Finland is this year witnessing the influx of a record number of asylum seekers and other immigrants, even up to 50 000 people, according to some estimates. The most important thing is that the people coming here would get to start language tuition, required training and then working life as soon as possible. Children’s access to Finnish day-care, preschool and primary school is a priority, Palola points out.
STTK reminds of equality being an essential value in Finnish working life. – Everybody needs to have the same rights and obligations in working life. Immigrants’ entry in working life must not mean that terms of employment are trampled upon, with diminishing objections, and employees are put in adversarial positions, e.g. in terms of pay or other conditions.
In STTK’s view, immigration must be discussed, but no ground must be given to racism.- Dialogue, good practices as well as various new experiments will yield the best means for integration. Racism in all forms as well as violent attacks against immigrants must be fully condemned, Palola says.
Chairman Antti Palola and organization manager Juska Kivioja visit the reception centre in Kirkkonummi today and meet residents who describe their backgrounds and hopes for the future.
For more information at STTK: Chairman Antti Palola, Tel 040 509 6030 Organization Manager Juska Kivioja, Tel. 050 581 4372