The construction unions of SEK, PEO and DEOK have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the granting of work permits to third-country workers for contractors and subcontractors who fail to comply with collective agreements and labour legislation, warning that they may take industrial action.
In a joint announcement, the unions called for work permits to be withheld from employers found to have breached collective agreements or labour laws. They also demanded a review of decisions to renew or revoke permits at the companies concerned.
Unions challenge Labour Ministry decisions
The unions said they were protesting against the Labour Ministry’s decision to renew work permits for third-country workers at businesses that have been the subject of official complaints over alleged violations of collective agreements and labour legislation.
They called for substantive checks to be carried out before permits are granted, including the re-establishment of technical committees involving both trade union and employers’ organisations.
They also called for more inspections and checks at construction sites to ensure that all collective agreement terms and applicable labour laws are fully respected.
The unions stressed that permits for third-country workers should not be approved without proper scrutiny of whether contractors and subcontractors comply with their obligations under collective agreements and labour legislation.
They added that the Labour Ministry has a responsibility to ensure, before approving or renewing any application, that collective agreements are being implemented, labour laws are being followed and employers are meeting their obligations towards workers and social insurance funds.
Concerns over public projects
The unions also raised concerns about breaches of collective agreements on public projects.
They pointed out that companies awarded public contracts, including projects involving ministries, semi-governmental organisations and local authorities, are required under their contractual terms to apply sectoral or prevailing collective agreements signed between trade unions and employers’ organisations.
They described it as unacceptable for companies carrying out projects funded by the public to violate collective agreements while still receiving permission to employ third-country workers.
“The state cannot, on the one hand, act as an employer and contracting authority and, on the other, violate the law by tolerating or, in some cases, facilitating such practices through the Ministry,” the unions said.
They also questioned the apparent contradiction between the work of the Labour Inspection Service and the permit renewal process.
According to the unions, inspectors may identify violations, file complaints and secure convictions, while the state, through the relevant permit renewal procedures, allows the same practices to continue without meaningful consequences.
Unions warn of unfair competition and exploitation
The unions argued that tolerance of such practices creates conditions of unfair competition, undermines collective agreements and weakens employment conditions across the construction sector.
They added that third-country workers themselves risk becoming victims of exploitation and being used as a means of circumventing rights secured through workers’ struggles.
Concluding their announcement, the unions said compliance with labour legislation must not be optional or applied selectively.
They warned that employers who breach labour laws should not be rewarded with continued access to permits for employing third-country workers, adding that they are prepared to take action.
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