The Social Affairs and Health Committee of the Parliament of Finland issued a statement (in Finnish) on legislation governing essential work on 23 April 2025. The Committee highlighted the same issues in the legislative proposal that Tehy has talked about systematically. The Committee demands specifications to the section on emergency work in the legislative proposal and shines a light on issues in the bill drafting.
The Social Affairs and Health Committee is of the opinion that the relationship between emergency work and the proposed new regulation should be specified. The Committee is asking the Employment and Equality Committee (TyV) to comment on the drafting of the provisions concerning emergency work. Next, the Committee is waiting for TyV to issue a committee report on the matter, after which it can be determined how the drafting of the bill will advance in parliament.
Proposed change in emergency work poorly drafted and unclear
Just like Tehy, all of the members of parliament in the Committee highlighted issues with the proposal.
“The proposed provisions on emergency work have been added to the proposal after circulation for comment without proper hearings and tripartite preparation, and the proposal does not contain an assessment of the impact of specifications to the provisions on emergency work,” the Committee writes in its statement.
According to the Committee, it is also unclear in light of the grounds provided in the proposal whether the requirements for having emergency work carried out are met.
Helsingin sanomat also wrote about the matter (in Finnish) in early May stating that Tehy’s criticism of the bill drafting is backed by the Social Affairs and Health Committee, especially when it comes to bill drafting concerning emergency work.
Professor: Position of public officials jeopardised in bill drafting
Professor emeritus Seppo Koskinen, an experienced specialist in the field, has also weighed in on the matter. On 22 April, Koskinen wrote in the Edilex service that he considers the Government’s bill drafting and the police report very unusual.
”Public officials have not been able to fulfil their independent role sufficiently in the most recent bill drafting concerning employment legislation, i.e. under the current Government. Political influence has made dents in the neutral position of public officials, which leads to issues like this,” Koskinen writes.
Tehy also filed a police report (article in Finnish) on the bill drafting on 7 April 2025, because it has reason to suspect the public officials of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of committing an offence in public office. More than 10,000 members of Tehy backed the police report. The police have started a preliminary survey of the matter.
Text: Lotta Nuotio