The article examines the union’s reaction to the changes, which marks a departure from the previous consensus-based approach with unions and other parties in the country.
The new amendments propose harmful changes, such as tax cuts to encourage work over benefits, significant reductions in earnings-related unemployment benefits after periods of unemployment, and the removal of pay for the first day of sick leave.
The Finnish government intends to make significant changes to national collective bargaining agreements so that companies can deviate from national agreements in favor of local negotiations. They also seek to introduce tougher rules, including financial sanctions, to prevent sympathy strikes and political industrial action.
Critics, including the Finnish trade union SAK and left-wing groups, argue that these proposals are unbalanced and influenced by employers’ organizations. In response, the trade unions are preparing for large demonstrations during the coming autumn, when these proposals advance in the parliament.
The original story was published by Morning Star on 10.09.2023 and can be found here.
Trade unions oppose “contradictory” non-EU student fee increase
The new Finnish government’s plans to tighten immigration policy and charge full-price tuition fees for international students outside of Europe were discussed in the article. University World News September 7th. The article presents the views of trade unions, who believe these measures are at odds with previous commitments to increase the number of international students to attract high-level skills to the national workforce.
The government’s proposals are outlined in the 245-page program “Strong and committed Finland”. The working group set up by the Ministry of Education and Culture focuses on the introduction of full-price tuition fees and application fees for international students. This effort will require new legislation and detailed regulations. The group is also exploring possible legislation to prevent students from obtaining a residence permit for employment after starting their studies to circumvent tuition fees.
At the beginning of June, there were rumors about the government’s intention to introduce full-price tuition fees. In response, nine academic unions issued a joint statement opposing the proposal. They particularly criticized the Ministry of Education and Culture’s estimate that this measure would lead to a 43 percent decrease in the number of international students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
We are very disappointed with the ministry’s proposal and consider it a disaster for Finland’s long-term plans to internationalize higher education in our country,” the statement reads.
The trade unions emphasized that the ministry’s presentation is in stark contrast to the sustainable growth policy of higher education and the 2035 roadmap for education-based and work-based immigration.
The original story was published in University World News on 07.09.2023 and can be found here.
Prime Minister of Estonia: Finland is the key to closing trade with Russia
This article is about the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas published an article expressing the desire of Russia’s neighboring countries to implement a unified trade embargo ERR’s news September 6. The article examines how the negotiations regarding this, especially with Finland as a key actor, have faced challenges.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsakhna, has stated that Estonia cannot unilaterally impose a trade embargo on Russia due to possible negative effects on Estonian companies. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas expressed her frustration that the neighboring countries, especially Finland, have not supported Estonia’s proposal for a joint trade embargo with Russia.
The article mentions that various goods such as electronics, factory furniture, food and plastic are regularly transported from Estonia to Russia. Companies registered in other EU countries use Estonian border crossing points more often than local Estonian companies for this trade.
Kallas also emphasized that when Estonia decided to stop issuing visas to Russian tourists, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland joined, and Finland joined some time later.
“No one is involved in this matter,” Kallas told ERR news. – The main concern is that if we don’t do it together, and Finland is in a key position there, the goods will simply move elsewhere. And we end up punishing our entrepreneurs,” Kallas said.
The original article was published in ERR News on 06.09.2023 and can be found here.
Finland’s Patria is weighing up the production of combat vehicles in Ukraine
This article about Finnish armored vehicle manufacturer Patria, which is considering setting up a production facility in Ukraine, was published in Defense news September 4th. The article tells how Finland joins other European countries in looking for sustainable aid methods to strengthen Ukraine’s resources in the middle of the ongoing war against Russia.
The Finnish defense authorities have not yet given clear confirmation or details about Patria’s possible transfer. Finland is exploring several ways to support Ukraine’s defense efforts, including increasing national ammunition production, Kiev’s direct purchases from Finnish industry, and participation in international aid projects for Ukraine.
“In general, we know that Ukraine is interested in Finnish defense industry products and that discussions to promote bilateral material cooperation have taken place between administrations and companies,” the Finnish defense representative told Defense News.
“Commercial export permits have been applied for, and the Defense Administration has expedited their processing,” he added.
Patria has experience in technology transfer agreements for Rosomak 8×8 wheeled armored modular vehicles (AMV) in Poland and has successfully implemented similar arrangements in, for example, Slovenia, Croatia and South Africa. However, the company did not specifically comment on any contact with Ukraine regarding such technology transfer.
The original story was published in Defense News on 09/04/2023 and can be found here.
Finland increases money for cyber-AI defense
Finland’s plans to increase spending on cyber security defense by 30% in 2024 against the growing threat of artificial intelligence-based cyber attacks were discussed in the article. Cryptopolitical September 7th. The article highlights efforts to protect both state and private organizations from cyber threats that are developing in Finland.
The defense budget for cyber security is predicted to be 280 million euros in 2024. The allocation of these funds to cyberAI improvements will be specified in connection with the completion of the 2024 budget in October.
This cyber security strategy is described in the STAIC (Security Threat of AI-Enabled Cybertacks) report, which was developed in cooperation with the Finnish State Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, Huoltovarmuuskeskus (NESA) and cyber security expert WithSecure. The STAIC report highlights the urgency of cyber security improvements and predicts that cyber attackers will develop artificial intelligence tools capable of autonomously identifying vulnerabilities in IT systems and conducting covert attacks in the next 5-6 years.
AI-powered threats have primarily focused on social engineering applications such as impersonation and data analysis, but are expected to become more sophisticated and pervasive, and may spread to more sophisticated cyber attackers in the near future.
The original story was published by Cryptopolitan on 07.09.2023 and can be found here.
Amateur researchers encounter bike thieves in Finland
This article about Oulu’s volunteers, known as Bike Patrols, working to combat bike theft, was published BBC September 2. The article deals with rampant bicycle theft in Oulu, which has become a significant problem in a city known for its extensive cycling infrastructure.
These volunteers, led by ordinary citizens like Ilkka Pulkkinen, dedicate several hours every day to tracking down stolen bikes and returning them to their rightful owners. Bike patrols have found success using social media to gather tips and information from the community. They have found stolen bikes hidden in warehouses and drop-off locations used by drug dealers. In the past year alone, they have recovered 1,298 stolen bikes, with police prioritizing more serious crimes.
Oulu has an excellent cycling infrastructure, as 77% of the residents use a bike in the summer and 42% continue cycling in the winter despite the cold and -8°C average temperature. The city’s well-maintained bike paths are so reliable that even small children can cycle to school independently. However, the large number of bicycles has attracted thieves, with the result that 1,738 cases of theft have been reported to the police in the past year.
The original story was published by the BBC on September 2, 2023 and can be found here here.
HT
Source: The Nordic Page