Fjäder regrets for backing distinct labour idea for migrants

Sture Fjäder, the chairman of trade union Akava (the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland) on Thursday apologised for his remarks that suggested Finnish employers to consider paying lower salary and fewer employment benefits to unskilled immigrant workers.

He made the apology publicly from following strong criticism from the different labour union members, according to a Akava press release and a news report by National broadcaster Yle.

Earlier, on Wednesday Fjäder in an interview with Yle echoed the statements made by Finnish Nobel laureate economist Bengt Holmström in a separate Yle interview the same day.

Holmström suggested Finland could implement policies which he said would encourage immigrants to get jobs instead of relying on the country's social support system, said the Yle report, adding that Holmström said Finland could permit employers to hire unskilled immigrants under worse conditions than collective bargaining agreements provide - including lower salaries and diminished social support benefits.

"I apologise for my comments and am sorry that it raised the concept that I support a two-tier job market system. We do not want for Finland to follow such model, but rather one in which all workers are treated equally," Fjäder said in a statement issued by Akava on Thursday.

He said that in the first interview, he was trying to point out that the integration of immigrants is faster when they are employed, saying that promoting equality and equality in the labor market is a core value of the confederation, said the Yle report.

He also said that to uphold Finland´s image as welfare state, it needs to improve employment numbers, adding that Akava endorses bringing in more foreign workers to reach that goal.

"We must eliminate barriers to employment. Education is the most important means of promoting immigrants' access to jobs," he said.

He also appreciated the criticisms made by the labour union members saying that their opinions on the important topic helped him to clear his position in this regard.