Finland's center-right government has unveiled controversial plans to weaken employment protection laws. The proposal would make it easier for employers to terminate contracts.
The government will present its formal proposal at a 2:00 PM press conference. The changes specifically target dismissal protections that have drawn strong criticism from left-wing parties and trade unions.
Under current Finnish law, employers can only terminate permanent contracts for 'weighty and proper reasons.' The new legislation would reduce this requirement to simply 'proper reasons.' This represents a significant lowering of the threshold for dismissals.
What constitutes proper grounds for dismissal? The new definition would focus on employee misconduct or inadequate work performance. Employers would no longer need to demonstrate serious violations.
The government argues these changes will remove barriers to employment and strengthen small and medium-sized businesses. Many smaller companies currently view legal dismissal risks as major obstacles to hiring.
Trade unions strongly oppose the measures. The Left Alliance chair Minja Koskela called the proposal 'an unnecessary attack on workers' in a party statement. She argued that weakening job security won't increase employment but will only weaken workers' positions.
Employers would also lose the obligation to explore alternative work opportunities for employees facing dismissal. This represents another reduction in worker protections.
Interestingly, Finland's most influential trade union secured stronger dismissal protections in its recent collective agreement. This means some workers will maintain better protection than the proposed law provides.
The political reality is clear: this represents a fundamental shift in Finland's labor market balance toward employer flexibility. While businesses may welcome reduced hiring risks, workers face increased job uncertainty.