Sanna Marin (SDP), the Minister of Transport and Communications, has indicated she is confident that technological advances and productivity improvements will make shorter workdays a possibility in the future. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin (SDP) has elaborated on her proposal to switch to a four-day, 24-hour work week in Finland to Aamulehti.

Marin stated yesterday in a guest contribution to the newspaper that she is pleased by the debate prompted by her proposal and reminded that working time has decreased over the past century as a consequence of increasing labour productivity.

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Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (Greens) addressed the media in a press conference held in conjunction of a meeting of the Green League in Helsinki on 12 August 2019. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

MARIA OHISALO (Greens), the Minister of the Interior, has voiced her concern about attempts to erode the sense of security in Finland.

“Finland is one of the world’s safest countries. It is disconcerting to notice how people are deliberately trying to erode the sense of safety […] by fuelling distrust and driving a wedge between different population groups,” she wrote in a blog on the website of the Green League on Friday.

The income tax cuts planned for next year will not suffice to offset the rises in social security contributions, says Teemu Lehtinen of the Taxpayers’ Association of Finland. (Mesut Turan – Lehtikuva)

THE TAX BURDEN of Finnish middle and high-income earners will grow considerably as of next year due to an increase in social security contributions, predicts Teemu Lehtinen, the managing director of the Taxpayers’ Association of Finland.

The contributions, he explained in a press release yesterday, cannot be offset with the income tax cuts laid out in the budget proposal of the Ministry of Finance.

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The Finnish working-age population is believed to have contracted by more than 100,000 between 2010 and 2018, according to Statistics Finland. (Martti Kainulainen – Lehtikuva)

FINLAND should turn its attention to immigration to alleviate the problems caused by its shrinking working-age population, views Sami Pakarinen, the chief economist at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

“The topical employment debate has focused more on the labour force than on increasing the working-age population,” he wrote in his blog on Sunday.

Finnish Minister of Finance Mika Lintilä (Centre) has expressed his concern that the lack of investments is undermining employment growth in Finland. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

FINNISH BUSINESSES are faced with a plethora of problems, views Risto Siilasmaa, the board chairperson at Nokia, F-Secure and Technology Industries of Finland.

Siilasmaa stated on Twitter on Sunday that the problems include old deep-rooted attitudes, lack of labour market flexibility, political talk about reducing working time, a chronic and exacerbating labour shortage, and a reluctance to copy proven solutions from other Nordic countries.

The Finns Party Parliamentary Group will thwart any attempt to bring formal charges against Juha Mäenpää, who is being investigated for drawing a comparison between introduced species and asylum seekers in the Finnish Parliament. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

PEKKA HÄTÖNEN, a detective chief inspector at Helsinki Police Department, will remain in charge of the ongoing inquiries into statements by three Members of the Finnish Parliament: Juha Mäenpää (PS), Hussein al-Taee (SDP) and Päivi Räsänen (KD).

Lasse Aapio, the chief of Helsinki Police Department, told YLE on Wednesday that Hätönen will remain in charge of the investigations but the processes will be discussed with him.

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Sanna Marin (SDP), the Minister of Transport and Communications, says she would like to see a shorter work week become a reality in the near future. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

SANNA MARIN (SDP), the Minister of Transport and Communications, made a bold working life-related proposal during a panel discussion held in conjunction with the 120th anniversary celebrations of the Social Democratic Party in Turku on Saturday.

Marin identified a considerably shorter work week as one of the objectives the party should incorporate into its agenda and pursue in the future.

Lieutenant General Timo Kivinen took over as the commander of the Finnish Defence Forces on 1 August 2019. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

FINNISH ARMED FORCES can have a significant role in the integration of young immigrants, believes Lieutenant General Timo Kivinen, the newly appointed commander of the Finnish Armed Forces.

“People entering the [military] service are equal regardless of background. The training teaches you how to work together and that everyone is an equal member of the group they’re serving in. I view that working together and getting the same training promotes integration,” he told Uusi Suomi on Thursday.

Western Uusimaa Police Department has wrapped up its pre-trial investigation into a case in which a roughly 30-year-old man is suspected of sex crimes against a total of 52 girls from all over Finland. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

WESTERN UUSIMAA Police Department on Wednesday announced it has completed a pre-trial investigation into a case in which a roughly 30-year-old man is suspected of sex crimes against a total of 52 girls.

The Espoo resident is suspected of a total of 12 counts of aggravated child sexual abuse, 39 counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of attempted child sexual abuse.