Union figurehead says sorry for immigration comments

The president of Akava, an association of Finnish trade unions, has apologised for suggesting that unskilled immigrants should be paid lower wages than native Finns.

Akava published a notice on 25 October in which its president Sture Fjäder apologised for comments he made a day earlier to Finland’s public broadcaster Yle. He had said that paying low-skilled immigrants less than Finnish labourers of the same skill level could help them find work and integrate more easily.

“I apologise for my comments,” he said. “We must treat all workers equally. Promoting equality and equality in the labour market is the core value of Akava.”