EU accession of Baltic States offers both threats and opportunities for Finnish working people

(Helsinki 24.03.2003 - Juhani Artto) Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are due to become EU Member States on 1 May 2004. The forthcoming accession of the Baltic countries has increased interest within the Finnish trade union movement in the progress that these countries are making in working life. This has fostered both worries and positive expectations, depending on which aspects of working life and European Union membership conditions are discussed.

A new study, published in March by the Finnish Ministry of Labour, thoroughly updates the analysis of working life in these three countries. In an opening summary the researchers list the following key points: "normalisation" in Estonia, job satisfaction in Latvia, reduced gender pay differentials in Lithuania, and contradictory impact on Finnish working people. Read more about the study on Trade Union News from Finland.