Serious labor violations uncovered at state-run Valteri school construction in Helsinki
An investigation revealed that dozens of foreign workers on the Valteri school site were employed with false IDs, received below-minimum wages and often lacked proper work permits.
A review of the Valteri school project in Ruskeasuo exposed extensive breaches of labor law, including the use of false personal identification cards for dozens of foreign workers. Several employees were paid wages below the sectoral agreement and did not receive overtime compensation. The subcontractor Varateki, responsible for supplying many of these workers, was sanctioned by the construction union for not addressing payroll deficiencies.
Senaatti-kiinteistöt admitted shortcomings in site supervision, while the primary contractor Mirlux confirmed the imposition of a contract fine. The investigation also highlighted that work-permit checks were not properly carried out for many non-EU laborers, some of whom were incorrectly recorded as Finnish nationals.
Why it matters
The case shows how state-funded projects can be vulnerable to labor exploitation and weak oversight.
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