Haluamme allekirjoituksia omalla nimellä Lapin Kansan Yleisöosasto kirjoitukseen, koskien Lapland Welcomea.

Haluamme julkaista allaolevan kirjoituksen Lapin Kansan yleisöosastolla. Jos olet ollut töissä Lapland Welcomella ja olet kokenut epäasiallista käytöstä toimitusjohtajalta tai turvallisuushuolia, allekirjoitathan addressin. Haluamme mahdollisimman monta nimeä addressiin jotta saamme äänemme kuuluville. Toivomme kuitenkin että sinulla on kokemus ja tieto kyseisestä yrityksestä, tai alla olevasta asiasta.  Deadline allekirjoitukselle on Maanantai, 25 Syyskuuta 2023. 

Kun allekirjoitat, muistathan vahvistaa allekirjoituksen! 

English version is below the finnish one, just scroll down. 

Kirjoitus on seuraava: 

Lapland Welcome - vastine

The article is as follows:

Lapland Welcome - Response

We would like to contribute to the ongoing discussion about Lapland Welcome and its CEO, Veli Moilanen, for several reasons. One of them is that old distressing memories resurface from the time when we worked at that company. However, we feel that for the first time, our voices are being heard, and the matter is being taken seriously. As we no longer work at Lapland Welcome, we believe it is essential for foreign visitors to Lapland, including young people and their parents, to be aware of what they are getting into and what to expect. It concerns people's mental well-being and safety.

The cars are faulty. Not all of them, of course, but a significant portion. Tires come off while driving, and the steering wheel lock jams due to the car's faults. Instead of asking, "How are you? Are you okay?" when you return to the office after such incidents, you are met with dismissal. Gearboxes are broken, or you can't lock the trunk. When you complain about these issues, you receive questions like, "Why don't you know how to handle it?" or "Did you break the car yourself?"

Even speech and walking styles are criticized. You are excluded from recreational evenings because of the guide's perceived stupidity. Words like "stupid" and "simple" are part of the CEO's daily vocabulary when referring to the guides. The CEO's ruthless behavior is primarily directed towards foreign guides, although everyone receives their share of scolding. Foreign guides are insulted in a crude manner in the Finnish language while they are present as guides. These are just a few examples, and there are many more. In his response in the Public Opinion section, the CEO himself said, "Everyone who knows me knows that derogatory nicknames are not in my vocabulary." However, anyone who has worked for him knows that derogatory language was part of CEO Moilanen's vocabulary every single day. Even his response hints at all of this, as he publicly refers to former employees as alcoholics, individuals with multiple problems, and unsuitable for society. Many employees have switched to other safari companies and are highly qualified and reliable guides. Yelling, offensive text messages, and hours of phone calls where guides are verbally abused have become a daily occurrence. Even if you aren't verbally attacked on a particular day, the anxiety of going on a safari with customers and leaving other guides at the mercy of the CEO lingers. As the CEO himself calls himself, a dictator, the term dictatorship accurately describes his mode of operation.

Employees are pushed to their limits, with unbelievably long work shifts without days off.

Salaries are incomplete. Often, salaries are missing days or allowances. When requesting a pay statement, it is not provided. Unpaid salaries have been sought by any means necessary, usually without success. A few guides have had to go to the office and tell the CEO that they won't leave until the wages due for the work done are in the account. The CEO has called the police to remove the worker from the premises. Several foreign workers have left, disappointed and shocked, back to their home countries without the salaries owed to them

All of this started over a decade ago. Hundreds of employees have experienced mental violence and workplace bullying every season. PAM (Service Union United) has not helped in any way despite numerous attempts. The TE Office promotes this workplace. If they have removed sanctions, it is because if an employee resigns, there is a reason - they are aware of the problems but still assist the company in recruiting more victims. We hope that now PAM, the TE Office, or any other relevant authority will genuinely address this issue.

This is our final response to this matter, but we hope that PAM, the TE Office, or any other authority takes this as a cry for help from former employees so that no one has to go through the same hell.

Lapland is a beautiful and amazing place. It would be great if its splendor is not tarnished by anyone, whether it's a work experience or a holiday experience. This issue has been going on for far too long for far too many people.

Minna-Maija Taipale    Ota yhteyttä adressin tekijään