Summary: A new law coming into force on Sunday limits interest on consumer loans to 20 percent, making life difficult for payday lenders.

Consumer credit gets a revamp from 1 September, when a new law limiting the cost of borrowing comes into force.
 From that date loans can only be taken out if the interest rate is below 20 percent per year. In addition, other costs associated with loans will be limited to 150 euros. Before the reforms, the interest rate cap has been 50 percent on loans of up to 2,000 euros, with no limit above that figure.
 Mortgages and car loans are excluded from the reform.
 The goal is to reduce over-indebtedness, but in the short term is expected to lead to a rise in payment defaults.
 "Lenders won’t dare to take such big risks as before with the new lower interest rates," said  Juha Pantzar  of the Guarantee Foundation debt advice charity. "Therefore a person who has been paying off their loans by taking out new ones, won’t get credit in future and therefore won’t be able to pay their bills. That will lead to an increase in debt problems.”
 That is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Pantzar.
 "Repayment time comes one day in any case, and the quicker a debt spiral can be interrupted, the smaller the sum that needs to be repaid."
 More restrictions on the way?
 Finance companies involved in high-risk lending say the new rules will restrict the supply of loans to their customers.
 "Services will be offered to a smaller proportion of consumers, and probably more applications will be rejected, because under the new pricing rules so-called high risk customers can't be granted loans," said  Kim Ahola  of payday lender 4Finance.
 Others, meanwhile, say the regulations don’t go far enough.
 Firms are expected to respond to the changes by offering bigger loans over longer repayment periods to keep their profit margins high.
 Paula Hannula  of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Finnish acronym KKV) suggests that Finland could counter this by following Sweden in limiting total costs associated with a loan, rather than annual charges.
 "Over there the cost of credit and debt collection cannot exceed the value of the loan, however long the repayment period is," said Hannula. "Here lenders can levy the maximum charges allowed every year, which could commit [lenders] to longer repayment periods."
 Pantzar also recommends Finland bring in a so-called ' positive credit register ' which would combine loan and income information for lenders to evaluate borrowers' ability to repay.
 At present they can only ask an applicant and check the register of payment defaults, and have no way of knowing for sure if an applicant has other consumer loans.
 At present some 400,000 people appear on the register of payment defaults, and therefore face problems getting credit.

Finland braced for short-term rise in defaults after limiting interest rates on loans


Summary: Workers at sorting office walked off the job on Friday.

A strike at postal sorting offices will delay deliveries in parts of the country on Friday, and the dispute is set to widen next week.
 National mail company Posti says that due to unofficial walkouts by workers in Tampere, Vantaa and Jyväskylä, there may be some delays to package deliveries in those areas.
 The postal workers’ union PAU has called for strikes starting on Sunday at 10pm and with workers expected to return to work on 5 September, but some workers walked out on Thursday and Friday on hearing the news that their pay was to be cut from November.
 The dispute stems from a move by Posti to transfer some 700 workers from the current sector-wide collective agreement to an agreement covering newspaper deliveries with significantly worse terms and conditions. The change will effectively cut workers' pay while introducing bonuses for productivity, customer satisfaction and quality of work.
 PAU claims that the move would see pay cuts of up to 50 percent, with the average affected worker losing 30 percent of their salary.
 The 700 affected workers deal with package and online shopping deliveries, and their new terms and conditions are slated to come into force from 1 November.
 Posti said yesterday in a statement that the move is part of an efficiency drive that is targeting 150-200 million euros in annual savings by 2021.

Postal strike delays deliveries as union claims pay set to be cut by 30 percent


Summary: Few in Finland are prepared to pay more for food with a lower carbon footprint, says the farmers' union newspaper.

Maa- ja metsätaloustuottajain keskusliitto (MTK)

Just one-tenth of Finns say they wouldn't mind paying higher prices for food that generates lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to a survey carried out for the main rural daily, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus.
 Those most willing to pay more for sustainable food were the highly-educated and those in management positions. Most were supporters of the Greens, the Left Alliance, the Centre and the Swedish People's Party. Respondents most reluctant were backers of the prime minister's Social Democratic Party and the opposition Finns Party.
 Some Finnish food chains have  begun informing consumers of products' carbon ratings , but say that such calculations are complex and imprecise.
 Story continues after graphic.
 Some Finnish food chains have begun labelling products with carbon ratings.
 One third of those surveyed said they wouldn't mind paying more for public transportation if it would lower greenhouse gas emissions, though just one fifth said so when asked about fuel prices.
 "Easier to be radical when you're young"
 Young respondents were most willing to pay for climate measures.
 "It's easier to be radical when you're young. Often consumer behaviour changes when people enter working life, though. It remains to be seen whether members of the younger generation retain their climate awareness as their life situations change,"  Minna Autio , professor of home economics at the University of Helsinki, told the paper.
 The respondents most opposed to paying more were those aged 45-54, with over half saying they didn't want to pay more for anything, regardless of climate concerns. The same was true for low-income people.
 Those in rural areas were generally the most prepared to shell out more for public transport but the least willing to pay more for fuel. Residents of the Helsinki region – where significantly more use mass transit – took the opposite view.
 Pollster TNS Kantar Agri queried just over 1,000 Finns in early August for the survey. The margin of error is three percentage points.
 The company that publishes Maaseudun Tulevaisuus is owned by the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), which has traditional ties to the Centre Party.

Poll: Only one in 10 ready to pay more for more sustainable food


Summary: Schools are still responsible for discipline but cases of bullying that break the law will be dealt with more severely.

Etelä-Karjalan sosiaali- ja terveyspiiri (EKSOTE)

Laura Rajala  says she had to endure bullying in upper comprehensive school. Her home town of Lappeenranta and the surrounding South Karelia region of Eastern Finland is now taking a tougher stance on school bullying, and Rajala, who just started high school, says she approves.
 "This shows that bullying is not acceptable in any instance and it is an unlawful act," she asserted. According to the new school bullying policy of South Karelia, suspected offences will be handled directly by the police or social services.
 Story continues after photo.
 Laura Rajala was bullied in upper comprehensive school. Kare Lehtonen/Yle
 "Too often, schools have dealt with bullying internally, even in cases that bear the characteristics of a crime," said  Jyrki Auronen , principal of the Voisalmi school in Lappeenranta who headed the task force assigned with developing the new model. School representatives from South Karelia say that extreme cases of bullying were not always dealt with outside school walls and that this is the primary reason behind the move.
 "Schools have been given guidance on how to handle such situations. They assess the situation and file criminal reports accordingly," Detective  Joni Mukala  of the Southeastern Finland Police Department told Yle.
 Schools now more likely to report crimes
 The new model has been implemented on a wide scale in Southern Karelia, with participation from school, police, social and district health representatives. More serious violations will no longer be considered under the umbrella term 'bullying.'
 "The term 'bullying' downplays the act. It is simply a series of unlawful actions," Auronen emphasised. Illegal activities that can take place at schools include assault, unlawful threats, theft, defamation and violation of privacy. "The most common issues are assault and cases of social media and online bullying," he said.
 Story continues after photo.
 Jyrki Auronen is principal of Lappeenranta's Voisalmi school. Kare Lehtonen/Yle
 Authorities indicate that schools will now be more likely to file criminal reports concerning students.  Sari Suikkanen , legal advisor for children and youth in South Karelia Social and Health Care District (Eksote), said she believes that more bullying victims will come forward.
 "It’s quite good that these issues will start to be brought forward and resolved," she said. Saukkanen says schools have already inquired about when they can start reporting alleged crimes.
 According to the Trade Union of Education in Finland, OAJ, the Southern Karelian model is not widely implemented in Finland. Education manager  Nina Lahtinen  said the approach should be adopted more extensively.
 "It is a great model when it comes to more extreme bullying cases," she added. According to Auronen, certain extreme bullying cases in Southern Karelia schools were handled deftly by the police.
 Schools to retain disciplinary responsibility
 Auronen stressed that the onus of disciplinary action will not be transferred to the police.
 "The normal growth and development of a child includes minor spats and squabbles at school. This is routine, and schools will deal with it in their own way," he said.
 Auronen emphasised that the division of responsibilities between schools and other authorities is still to be clarified. "A school might have traditionally had their own methods of dealing with serious issues, but that has changed now," he said.
 The new method is not intended to facilitate intimidation or fabrication of crimes.
 "We want to prevent tragic incidents. The intention is to spread awareness about this approach and reduce illegal activities in schools," said Auronen.
 Information about the new approach has been provided to students and sent to parents via the national schools' messaging service. Wilma. The issue has also been addressed at parent-teacher meetings. Additionally, teachers have been trained to use the new method when dealing with bullying. Police working with children and young adults welcome the reform.
 "We have had good experiences collaborating with social services to handle these issues. The cases have hardly ever been reopened," said Mukala.

Finnish schools to refer extreme bullying cases to police, social services


Summary: Finnish exports appear to be slowing after rapid growth in recent years.

Finnish exports appear to be slowing. The value of goods exported in June was lower than a year earlier, despite a slight rise in average prices for the goods.
 The value and volume of exports slumped by around three percent from a year earlier, although prices edged up by half a percent, Customs said on Friday. The value of goods sent abroad was about 5.2 billion euros.
 Despite June's decline, the value of exported goods still rose by four percent over the first half of this year. But so far this year exports are on track for much slower growth than last year's seven percent and the previous year's brisk 15 percent.
 Exports were weak in many sectors in early summer, with a significant drop in the number of cars shipped abroad. There were also broad declines in the chemical and forest product industries.
 On the plus side, exports of electrical machinery and equipment rose. Metal exports continued to rise thanks to sales related to the  construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline  across the Baltic.
 Exports to Germany slump
 Exports to other EU countries shrank by seven percent, but sales outside the EU notched up by two percent year-on-year, especially to the US, China and Russia. Exports to Germany, one of Finland's most important trading partners, were substantially lower.
 The balance of trade showed a surplus of 208 million euros in June, and a surplus of some 160 million euros for the first half of the year.
 That compares to last year's deficits in June (156 million euros) and from January-through June (1.2 billion euros).
 Also on Friday, the Mortgage Society of Finland (Hypo) said in an economic forecast that the upswing in the Finnish economy has peaked and will slide narrowly into recession later this year.

Export prices edge upward but volume declines


Summary: If conditions are right it’s even possible to view the Milky Way with the naked eye.

Amateur astronomers are in for a treat as autumn skies dim to reveal the secrets of the Milky Way in the days ahead. According to  Santeri Manninen  of Ursa Astronomical Association, early autumn is the best time to observe and photograph the heavens. That’s because skies darken earlier in the evening and there is no snow to contribute to light pollution.
 For many city dwellers, contemplating the Milky Way -- home to our solar system and planet -- may be quite a novelty. Even in the countryside, observers may not necessarily detect the formation right away.
 "After watching the dark sky for a while, at some point you’ll see a path [cutting] across the heavens," Manninen explained.
 The astronomer said that the best time to observe the Milky Way is when the sun sets between 10 and 11pm and reveals the galaxy as it wraps around the sky from the west to the south.
 Photos well worth the wait
 Skywatcher  Ilkka Laukkanen  from Akaa in the Tampere region spent two years waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way. His photos were well worth the wait and have been widely admired on Facebook.
 "I was finally able to do it the other night. I lit up the field as well as the fences with a flashlight," Laukkanen said, describing his photographic technique.
 Story continues after photo.
 Ilkka Laukkanen captured the Milky Way hovering over a field in Akaa in the Tampere. Ilkka Laukkanen / Lukijan kuva
 However he said that getting the galaxy to line up with the field where he set up was challenging. "Of course there can’t be any clouds and the moon should be below the horizon," he added.
 While the Milky Way is best viewed in the dark, humidity should also be low. For Laukkanen, photography is just a hobby; what really interests him are celestial phenomena.
 "You can see the Milky Way with the naked eye and try to get pictures of something new," he commented.
 An "incredible vision of beauty"
 From our vantage point on earth, we can only see a small part of our home galaxy and our very existence centres on the Sun. However, the disc-shaped Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of other stars.
 Two years ago, astronomy emeritus professor  Esko Valtaoja  and Ursa issued a "Spot the Milky Way" challenge to get people in Finland to turn their gaze towards the sky.
 Story continues after photo.
 Feathers float on a placid lake under the glitter of the Milky Way. Ilkka Laukkanen / Lukijan kuva
 "Everyone is amazed when they see the Milky Way for the first time. The way the stars shine really blows your mind. It’s an incredible vision of beauty that far too few people have experienced," Valtaoja said at the time.
 The professor noted that the ideal setting for a visual star trek is as far away as possible from human settlements.
 "We can feel that we are part of something bigger. When you pick your nose you’ll find star dust there. Every living thing is made up of heavy metals, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen that were created as stars in the Milky Way died. That’s where we all come from," Valtaoja concluded.

Early autumn ideal for viewing Milky Way in Finland


Summary: The Posti CEO's monthly salary is reportedly 82,500 euros while the average worker earns 2,200 euros a month.

State ownership steering minister  Sirpa Paatero  told the paper Demokraatti on Friday that government decide to review dividends and bonuses paid by national mail carrier Posti Group.
 In an interview with the Social Democratic Party organ, Paatero said that the firm’s decision to slash workers’ pay felt bad. On Thursday Posti announced a new pay structure for 700 packaging and e-commerce workers that would reduce their base salaries while providing incentive pay for productivity, customer service and work quality. The new system is due to begin in November.
 The postal workers’ union PAU said the new pay structure would effectively gouge the affected employees’ pay by an average of 30 percent, and in some cases up to 50 percent.
 The average monthly salary of a postal worker is 2,200 euros. A 30-percent salary reduction would mean losing 660 euros every month. Workers  walked off the job on Friday  as the union announced a strike to protest the pay reforms.
 Story continues after photo.
 State ownership steering minister Sirpa Paatero. Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
 Paatero told Demokraatti that Posti’s packaging and e-commerce operations have had to compete with international stock listed companies. She added that these competitors operate with more affordable industrial union pay contracts, in turn putting pressure on Posti.
 Posti board member and former SDP MP  Satu Taavitsenainen  wrote in her blog on Friday that the government could decide not to take dividends paid to it by Posti. As a state-owned company, Posti pays dividends to its sole shareholder, the state. Earlier this year the company reported  a slight increase in second-quarter revenues  despite slowing mail volumes.
 "It’s always possible to discuss the level of dividends [paid] and in this case as well it can be discussed with the company," Paatero said in the Demokraatti interview in response to Taavitsenainen’s suggestion.
 On Friday business weekly Talouselämä reported that in four years, Posti chief executive  Heikki Malinen ’s annual salary including bonuses had risen by 65 percent to 990,000 euros. That amounts to a monthly pay packet of about 82,500 euros.
 The business paper also noted that the management team’s pay had also increased significantly during the same period. Paatero said that it would be possible to discuss bonuses paid to top management, including in what situations and on what basis they are distributed.
 PAU: Management salaries untouchable
 Meanwhile PAU chair  Heidi Nieminen  told Yle that to her ears, Malinen’s pay sounded generous. However she said it is not for her to condemn other people’s salaries, regardless of how large they might be.
 She added that what she could not understand is that some in Posti believe that the lowest-paid workers are earning too much and should have their wages lowered 30 percent.
 The union leader said she would like to see Posti’s efforts to reduce costs reflected in measures that affect others apart from regular or supervisory staff.
 She pointed out that during employee-employer negotiations last spring to agree on cost reduction measures, it appeared that while the company was ready to cut spending on staff, management was not prepared to similar savings measures.
 "In the negotiations we raised [the question that] if we start saving on employment contract spending, would the management commit to ensuring that the resulting savings would not result in bigger bonuses for managers. Posti told us that they could not commit to that and that it could not be discussed in the talks," Nieminen disclosed.
 Yle was unable to reach Posti board chair  Markku Pohjola  for comment on Friday.
 Edit: Updated at 2.13pm to remove reference to Posti as a stock-listed company.

Govt may review Posti top management pay as workers face wage cuts


Summary: Survey shows an increase in the number of occupational health patients opting for care at private medical facilities.

More than 70 percent of customers at private medical centres were occupational health patients in 2018. According to the newspaper consortium Uutissuomalainen, that proportion represented some 1.3 million patients.
 The data came from an unpublished survey on occupational health operations and quality conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, TTL.
 Uutissuomalainen reported that the corresponding number of occupational health visits at private health centres in 2015 was 58 percent or 1.1 million customers and 550,000 in 2010.
 Last year there was a total of 1.86 million occupational health care patients, a decline of more than 100,000 from 2015.
 The coverage afforded by workplace occupational health contracts varies from place to place. Last year in southern Finland they covered 83 percent of the workforce, while in northern Finland the coverage was 60 percent.
 Meanwhile over the past three years the number of occupational health specialists has nearly doubled from 500 to reach 900 while the number of doctors specialising in occupational health was more than doubled to 450.

Papers: More occupational health patients using private medical centres


Summary: The noble bird of prey was removed from Finland’s list of endangered species earlier this year.

Conservationists documented a record number of white-tailed eagle hatchlings in Finland this year as a monitoring team from the environmental NGO WWF counted 558 chicks.
 According to WWF the hatchling count may not even reflect the actual number of hatchlings in Finland, since not all chicks have been found. The previous record number of new birds was in 2017, when teams found 502 youngsters.
 The organisation said however that the number of nesting birds has not increased in Finland in recent years.
 "This means that the record number of chicks this year was due to good nesting conditions," WWF head of white-tailed eagle monitoring  Heikki Lokki  observed in a statement.
 WWF said that every year new nesting grounds are identified in the Gulf of Finland as well as in southern and central Finland.
 By contrast there has been no growth in white-tailed eagle populations in coastal and archipelagic areas. In northern Finland the population is stable, while no nests have been recorded in southern Savo or Southern Karelia.
 Conservation efforts boost populations
 Environmental poisoning decimated white-tailed eagle populations in the 1960s and 1970s, with just four chicks hatching in 1975.
 In 1972 WWF established a white-tailed eagle monitoring group that comprised experts and amateur ornithologists in a bid to save the bird of prey.
 The 1980s saw a boom in hatchling numbers as winter feeding programmes took off and the use of poisons was prohibited.
 Earlier this year the white-tailed eagle was removed from Finland’s list of endangered animals and has since been classified a viable species.
 Field work related to white-tailed eagle monitoring and conservation will in future be handled by Sääksisäätiö or the Finnish Osprey Foundation.

Record 550+ white-tailed eagle hatchlings in Finland this year


Summary: Discharges through an opening in the sun's corona could trigger a Northern Lights display over Finland this weekend.

Meteorologists have said that there is a high possibility for skywatchers to witness a display of Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights on Saturday or Sunday night.
 The event is caused by a rapid electromagnetic discharge from an opening in the Sun’s corona towards the earth. According to forecasts by the Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, the speed of the discharge could exceed 700 kilometres per second and could trigger a minor magnetic storm.
 "Things are happening in space! In the nights ahead it’s possible that we will see Northern Lights in our skies," FMI tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
 It added that if the storm is even a bit more powerful, then the phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis could be visible as far as southern Finland around midnight on Saturday.
 FMI: Uncertainty over timing
 FMI said the biggest uncertainty about its space weather forecast is in the timing. "If the impact of the opening in the corona is the same as last time [on 5 August] it will begin in Sunday, in which case the Northern Lights show will begin Sunday night," the agency said on its website.
 "However the opening has expanded since the last time so this time the discharge could arrive earlier, in other words on Saturday night," it added, advising the public to monitor the situation from Saturday evening.
 "If nothing happens then, you should check again on Sunday night," FMI continued. It’s also possible to follow the agency’s online  space weather forecast in English , however  the Finnish-language service provides more information .
 "In terms of [expected] cloud cover there is a good chance to see the Northern Lights, at least in southern and central Finland. It will be cloudier in the north, but there could be breaks in the clouds in some areas," said Yle meteorologist  Joonas Koskela .
 According to the latest weather forecast, skies will be clearer on Sunday night.

Space weather forecast: Aurora light show possible as far as southern Finland


Summary: Just one of six women interviewed said she would prefer life in a Sharia state rather than to return to Finland.

The Finnish government is  still to decide on the fate of Finnish women  and their children detained at a refugee camp in a Kurdish region in Syria.
 A dozen or so Finnish women who followed their husbands as the men joined the ranks of extremist organisation Isis remain in the al-Hol camp in Syria. The women are mothers to a total of about 30 children.
 Yle recently spoke with six of the adult women at the camp, some of whom were also interviewed on a previous occasion in May. One of the women,  Minna , spoke out in favour of Isis, frequently referencing Allah and the Quran. All of the other women Yle contacted wanted to return to Finland. Yle spoke with the women directly as well as with some relatives.
 Minna told Yle that Isis' declaration of a caliphate or Islamic state in summer 2014 was joyful news. "According to our faith we must obey the laws of our god, Sharia law. That we have a caliphate of Islamic state, that should of course be a joyful thing for all of us Muslims," she told Yle.
 "I'd rather live in a Sharia state"
 Yle asked Minna to comment on some of the violence committed by Isis in Syria and Iraq, including beheadings. She said the acts were consistent with Sharia law.
 “It is according to Sharia law. If you have been convicted according to Sharia law, it is justified. If it is not according to Sharia law, it is not justified,” she declared.
 In recent months, government officials in Finland have been pondering what should be done about the Finnish women and children at the al-Hol camp. Many have said in the national discourse that they are concerned about  a possible security risk that the women would pose  if they are brought to Finland. Otherwise, officials have pondered their  options for getting children out  of the harsh camp conditions.
 Minna, who said that she has lived a long time in Isis-controlled areas, said she was aware of the ongoing discussion in Finland about the women.
 "Of course the people will attack us," she remarked, adding that it is very difficult to live as a Muslim in Finland.
 "I’d rather live in a Sharia state than in Finland," she continued.
 Some of the women said they fear that Minna’s comments will ruin everyone's chances of returning home. Others pointed out that speaking out against Isis in the camp could be risky.
 Kurdish fighters operating the al-Hol camp have interned roughly 11,000 foreign women and children who previously lived in Isis-controlled territories. The majority of them – as many as two-thirds – are minors.
 Risk of radicalisation
 According to Major General  Alex Grynkewich  of the US-led military coalition fighting against Isis, there is a risk that the women at the camp could become radicalised. He was speaking in an interview with the UK news service the Independent. Grynkewich told the paper that he sees this as the biggest long-term risk in the fight against Isis.
 In addition, a report by the US defence department speculated that Isis would likely try to recruit new members at al-Hol, while the US government has called in European countries to repatriate their citizens from the camp.
 Kurds in the area said they agree with these assessments.
 "Al-Hol is a time bomb. We don’t have the resources to protect and de-radicalise occupants. There are many security threats in our area that we have to prepare for. Turkey is threatening to attack and Isis has begun bombing strikes," said  Kino Gabriel , a spokesperson for Kurdish-led SDF forces.
 Growing frustration, suspicion
 The camp has modest kiosks where occupants can buy preserved food, water and snacks like biscuits. Large red water tanks hold water for drinking and washing. Outwardly, the facility had not changed much since Yle visited in May, but the atmosphere was different in August.
 In May many of the women Yle met said that they believed they would be taken out of the camp. However that confidence has now faded and has been replaced with frustration and suspicion of the authorities.
 Like the previous administration, the  Antti Rinne  government has not yet decided what to do about the Finnish citizens in the Kurd-controlled camp in Syria.
 In July  Rinne met with relatives of women and children  at the camp and said that government "is working hard to find a solution." So far none of the women or children have been relocated to Finland.

Finnish women in Syrian refugee camp in limbo awaiting return home


Summary: Finnair may have to pare down its UK flight offering ahead of a possible no-deal Brexit.

Kansainväliset organisaatiot ja sopimukset

How high are air connections on the list of priorities facing UK Prime Minister  Boris Johnson  as he prepares for what seems to be an increasingly likely disorderly departure from the EU,  also known as a no-deal Brexit ?
 That’s the question troubling airlines as well as EU Brexit preparation teams. That’s because after Brexit, the UK will no longer be a part of the EU’s internal market, which covers aviation traffic.
 London is a significant player in aviation traffic as it is an important air transportation hub. Of all EU countries, it currently offers the largest number of connections to the rest of the world. This means that future aviation service agreements will also impact on the lives of airline passengers. Finland, for example, would want to ensure that  passengers can continue to use London as a transit point  on trips to North America.
 Time running out for transition arrangements
 Last December the EU commission drew up a separate set of regulations that would safeguard aviation traffic between the EU and Britain, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Those arrangements were based on the understanding that the UK would leave the EU at the end of March as was previously determined by  Theresa May ’s government. The temporary system was due to last for a year until the end of March 2020.
 Now that the Brexit will not take place until the end of October, the temporary transition arrangements will only be in place for five months before they expire. This means that after March 2020, the parties involved will no longer recognise each other’s pilot licenses. According to sources in Finland, it looks likely that the EU will have to extend the duration of the transition arrangements.
 Meanwhile the months-long transition time will also be a nightmare for airlines that have already sold tickets for flights to take place one year later. That’s because flights leaving airports in places such as Finland and bound for North America are routed through the UK.
 "Airlines are responsible for transporting customers according to the tickets they sell," said lead specialist  Päivi Jämsä  of the Transport and Communications Ministry.
 Finnair options: Fewer flights or larger planes
 Carriers are therefore responsible for re-routing flights if they cannot transit through the UK. They may also have to compensate passengers for last-minute cancellations,  according to EU regulations .
 Air carriers are also operating in the dark, as they do not know what will happen to traffic rights between the UK and the EU. For example, Finnair is said to be preparing for a reduction in the number of route rights granted. This will cause the airline to pare down its flight offering – or to use larger commercial aircraft.
 Fewer route rights will in turn quickly eat into airlines’ bottom line. Even now, before Brexit has been finalised, uncertainty about the future has caused a reduction in passenger numbers.
 Brexit "divorce bill" a sticking point
 A key factor in what happens next will be the UK’s stance on aviation traffic. EU officials are on standby for talks, but their ability to safeguard aviation and the ability of EU nationals to move freely via Britain depends on reciprocity from Westminster.
 The situation is further complicated by the fact that the UK has threatened to withhold payments for outstanding EU membership obligations, the so-called EU divorce bill. When the EU sits down to negotiate post-Brexit agreements, it will likely do so only on condition that the UK pays up. If there are differences on this issue, it could throw another spanner in the works for transportation arrangements.
 "It’s problematic if the Brits leave without paying their bills and [still] want good trading relations," said  Silja Pasanen  an EU specialist in the prime minister’s office.

Looming no-deal Brexit casts shadow over future air travel


Summary: Archaeologists have confirmed that a father-son duo discovered an Iron Age dwelling using metal detectors.

Taide- ja kulttuurikoulutus ja -tutkimus

Archaeologists have confirmed that the discoveries made by a father and son in Kiurunkangas in Sievi, western Finland form part of a dwelling dating back to the Iron Age. Research began when the archaeology enthusiasts uncovered iron and bronze ornamental objects as well as ancient axes using a metal detector in October 2018.
 A team of 15 archaeologists and archaeology students from the University of Oulu began researching the area on 19 August. The Kiurunkangas location has a main excavation area of 60 square metres and several small excavation pits. Initial study of the findings suggested that the area was a graveyard typical of the Iron Age. Now, however, research indicates that it was a permanent dwelling.
 "The research results suggest that the site in Kiurunkangas has a large permanent dwelling instead of a graveyard, as there was no evidence of burials. This is, however, an equally interesting result. As in the case of graveyards, not much is known about Iron Age dwellings in Northern Finland,"  Ville Hakamäki , the archaeologist leading the excavation, said in a statement.
 Excavations of the site have already recorded more than a thousand findings, but more material is expected to emerge. The findings suggest that people have occupied the area for thousands of years.
 The material found thus far includes small metal objects, such as bronze-plated items from a metal container and a bronze fastening ring. Slag from the manufacture of iron have also been found.
 Story continues after photo.
 A bronze pendant resembling a bird. Sievin kunta
 "Evidently, the place had settlements, first in the Stone Age and subsequently in the Iron Age," Hakamäki stated. The Stone Age material found at the site includes flakes of quartz as well as burnt objects made from bone and pottery, items which are typically associated with the time period.
 Apart from these findings, a hearth was also discovered at the location. The structure is distinguished from the soil by a small circle of stones that has discernible signs of fire.
 The material found at the hearth is most likely from the Iron Age as well. However, the exact time period is yet to be determined.

Family in western Finland discovers Iron Age dwelling


Summary: The government is channelling millions into wage subsidies that Etla says have negligible impact on employment.

Economic think-tank Etla says state-sponsored wage subsidies designed for employers to recruit job seekers don't really boost employment. The government has outlined wage subsidies as a key tool for raising Finland's employment level to 75 percent, a goal  which has been seen as challenging  given the current slow rate of economic growth.
 Finland's TE employment offices can grant wage subsidies to employers to help cover the costs of taking on an unemployed job seeker. The subsidy aims to  advance the employment of job seekers who have shortcomings  in their professional skills, or suffer from an injury or illness that make them less attractive to potential employers.
 "It’s like giving a new recruit a long job interview," said catering entrepreneur  Taija Kavalto . "The new employee doesn’t have to have all the required skills to get the job—it's an opportunity for them to show their willingness to learn."
 Story continues after photo.
 Jasmin Vilén (L) and employer Taija Kavalto (R) plan an upcoming event.  Toni Määttä / Yle
 Prime Minister  Antti Rinne 'sgovernment has highlighted the wage subsidy system as a key measure for raising Finland's employment level to 75 percent. The state currently spends some 250 million euros on the programme annually, with an additional 18 million euros now earmarked for the scheme. The state decided to provide an additional cash injection for the programme even though Finnish firms have left  some 150 million euros in wage subsidies on the table . Many companies have found that applying for wage subsidies is laborious compared to the related benefit.
 Business owners have criticised the programme as overly bureaucratic, which is why the government said it plans to simplify the scheme and launch an online matchmaking service for employers and job seekers.
 No quick fix
 Antti Kauhanen  of the research institute of the Finnish Economy (Etla) told Yle that subsidising wages is not the silver bullet the government wants it to be.
 "The effects have not been substantial. We are talking about a few more additional months of employment in a year. Wage subsidies have no impact in the public sector or among NGOs," he said.
 Private sector employers use less than half of all issued pay subsidies, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Most subsidised employees find positions with the state, municipality and different types of associations.
 In Kauhanen’s opinion, the wage subsidy scheme is more of a social impact tool—interrupting long periods of unemployment—rather than guiding people into private sector jobs.
 At the moment TE offices can cover between 30 and 100 percent of a job seeker's wage costs, with the maximum subsidy paid to an employer totalling 1,400 euros.
 In the past decade, Kavalto’s catering business has taken on five recruits through the wage subsidy scheme—three of whom continued on as regular employees once their subsidies ran out.
 She said she never recruited anyone through the scheme with the intention of replacing them with another subsidised job seeker after the subsidy period ended.
 "We’ve recruited people with the goal of working with them in the future," she said.

Researcher: Wage subsidies have little impact on employment


Summary: The press on Monday looks at executive pay in state-owned companies as posties see their pay cut.

Heikki Malinen , CEO of postal firm Posti, is under the spotlight on Monday. Or more precisely his bulging,  82,000 euro-a-month pay packet is under scrutiny .
 To recap: last week Posti  announced  they would transfer 700 workers to a different sectoral collective agreement, a move that would entail a pay cut of between 20-25 percent (according to the company) and 30-50 percent (according to postal union PAU).
 That prompted strike action which continues into this week, disrupting deliveries across the country. And of course, Malinen’s bountiful compensation was picked up on by critics, including in Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.
 HS  reports  that Malinen’s pay has increased 48 percent since 2016, when he received 668,902 euros. In 2018 that had risen to 987,764 euros. The total Posti, a state-owned firm, puts towards payment of senior executives has risen by 65 percent since 2016.
 The paper rounds off with a selection of politicians who have criticised the move, including Christian Democrat leader  Sari Essayah , who demanded action from the government to prevent overly-generous pay deals.
 Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  commented on the strike on Sunday while opening a library in Valkeakoski, and Aamulehti  rounds up  his comments. He said exactly what you’d expect of a former union leader: it’s not fair that there are two collective agreements for the company to choose from, and the CEO’s pay was unacceptable.
 Iltalehti  reports  on the companies efforts to entice striking workers to cross the picket line. They are offering employees a five euro an hour bonus, and managers a 200 euro bonus for turning up to work during the strike. The strike is set to last until midnight on Thursday.
 Iltalehti also  broadens out  the story to look at the pay of managers at several state-owned companies. Finnair, VR, Gasum, Patria and Finavia all have bosses earning above half a million euros, while Fortum’s CEO  Pekka Lundmark  makes some 1.27 million euros including bonuses.
 As parliament gets back to work this week, it looks like this is one story that could rumble on.
 A penny for your thoughts?
 Ilta-Sanomat  carries  a report on research from Helsinki University that looked at how rich people view society. They selected 90 interviewees by looking at tax data over a ten year period, and asked them how they feel about their fellow citizens and politics in general.
 One whose wealth came via inheritance reckons unemployment is ‘down to attitude’.
 “It can’t be that one part of society provides for another part which doesn’t do anything,” said the inheritor.
 Another whose wealth came from one of Finland’s ‘old families’ became especially annoyed when talking about politics.
 “What do they all do there?” asked the respondent, whose wealth also came via inheritance. “I’m annoyed at their salaries and compensation and systems and they sit there and don’t get anything done in time or don’t take responsibility.”
 Professor  Anu Kantola , who conducted the research, said that she was concerned at the disconnect between many rich individuals’ views of their own achievements, about which they were positive, and wider society, about which they were pretty negative.
 “When the gaze shifted to a slightly wider view, the lens often darkened quite a bit,” said Kantola. “Do we have an elite that views society in such a dark way?”
 Northern show
 Over the weekend aurora borealis put in a spectacular appearance over Finland, with much of the country getting a chance to see the northern light show.
 Usually the fireworks are restricted to Lapland and the far north, but over the weekend skywatchers much further south were rewarded for their patience.
 As of Monday morning the two tabloids both had pictures of the spectacle, with Ilta-Sanomat  just edging it  in our opinion.  Iltalehti’s effort  isn’t bad though.

Monday’s papers: Posti pay dispute, what rich people really think, and a northern lights show


Summary: An expert group on violence against women has told Finland to hire more female police officers and tighten punishments for sexual violence.

Finland needs more women police officers and tighter rules on sexual violence, according to  a report  by a Council of Europe working group.
 More female police would make it easier to ensure women are interviewed by women when necessary.
 The experts say Finland has made strides in expanding the network of shelters for victims of domestic violence and taken steps towards tightening the law on rape and sexual violence, but more needs to be done.
 In cases where children have witnessed violence perpetrated by one parent on another, for instance, that violence should carry more weight in decisions about custody and visitation rights.
 In some such cases, even supervised visits should be avoided, according to the report.
 Experts followed Finnish legislation and visited the country for five days to produce the report as part of the European Council’s GREVIO (Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence) working group’s activities.
 The group recommends that the definition of rape be expanded to include the absence of consent, as is already the case in Sweden, and to criminalise forced marriage.
 Finland is already  moving to change the law  on sexual assault, thanks in part to a citizens’ initiative.
 In addition, GREVIO suggested that Finnish authorities make greater efforts to inform immigrant women that they can receive a residence permit in their own right, independently of their husbands.
 In some cases women are afraid to act against abusive spouses if they believe their immigration status is tied to his.
 The report also mentions that Finnish policymakers have a gender neutral language and that can sometimes mean gendered violence receives less attention than it should.

Finland urged to recruit more women cops, tighten law on rape


Summary: One shop steward told Yle that he fears in future postal workers will be paid in social benefits.

Heikki Malinen , CEO of Posti, has informed the Board of Directors that he will not collect his salary on two separate months during the second half of this year.
 Malinen’s salary of 82,500 euros per month has been the focus of much scrutiny as postal workers union PAU has expanded  a strike  that started on Sunday evening to cover truck drivers, in protest at what the union says is undue pressure on agency workers to work during the strike.
 Posti chair  Markku Pohjola  welcomed Malinen’s announcement.
 "This is his personal decision during a very difficult transitional period, and the Board of Directors appreciates his gesture,” Pohjola said.
 In an interview with rural newspaper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Malinen explained the reasoning behind his decision.
 “I thought about it and told [the board] that I was going to waive two months' salary. The decision is entirely personal. In view of the overall situation, I considered this a necessity," Malinen said.
 PAU’s head shop steward in Pirkanmaa,  Leo Harra , was standing outside the Multisilta sorting office in Tampere on Monday.
 “We’re banned from the whole area. During the strike we stay outside the gates,” said Harra.
 Posti: This strike is illegal
 According to the employer, this week’s industrial action is illegal. However, despite the strike, Posti’s Head of Control Centre  Jarmo Ainasoja  said that most deliveries will get to customers as planned.
 “At the moment, it looks like a small number of mail could be delayed by about a day,” said Ainasoja. “We are sorry to all our customers for any inconvenience caused.”
 Morning newspaper deliveries are not affected by the strike.
 According to Ainasoja the extent of disruption depends on how big a proportion of the Posti workforce goes out on strike.
 “Managers promising 200 euro bonuses”
 According to Harra, agency workers and managers are currently working at sorting offices. He says Posti’s tactics are worthy of criticism.
 “Posti has acted disgracefully in trying to break the strike,” said Harra. “Posti has promised bonuses and threatened agency workers with reductions in hours. Managers have been promised 200 euro bonuses.”
 Yle asked Posti about Harra’s claims, and they did not deny them.
 Posti has ‘Kiitos’ bonuses, which are paid to workers for good work,” Posti’s communications department said. “These payments are in use in exceptional situations too.”
 Harra also criticised the much-reported salary of the company’s CEO, as well as the bonuses paid when the company is not doing well.
 He says he regards the bonuses paid to managers during the strike as ‘outrageous’.
 “This is unprecedented,” said Harra. “If Posti now has resources for this kind of payment, why doesn’t it have the resources to pay others?”
 “Kela will pay our wages”
 PAU’s strike was sparked by Posti’s attempt to transfer parcel sorting staff to a collective labour agreement allowing much lower pay.
 According to PAU the move could cut pay in sorting offices by between 30 and 50 percent. The average salary is 2,200 euros, meaning that the pay cut is around 660 euros.
 “If pay is cut by 30-50 percent, our wages are paid by Kela [the social insurance institution responsible for welfare],” said Harra. “Everyone can consider if their own salary was cut by that much, is it right?”
 According to Posti, the union’s comparison does not give an accurate picture.
 “The Industrial Union’s collective agreement has planned payments for performance and the total package is, at best, higher than it is now,” said  Turkka Kuusisto  of Posti’s Package and online shopping operations group. “You can’t just compare the monthly salaries on the chart.”
 Posti aiming for ‘working conditions on the same level’
 Posti says it is aiming for 150-200 million euros worth of savings, and says it wants the same kind of working conditions as at competitors.
 Harra rejects that argument, saying that DHL and other package delivery firms in Finland do not use the agreement that Posti is aiming for, preferring the transport sector agreement.
 “If the employer gets what they’re aiming for, Posti’s competitive advantage is huge,” said Harra. “Is Posti, as a state-owned company, aiming for profits? In my opinion it isn’t. People should have decent wages.”
 Posti says it is currently the only company in Finland using the postal and logistics sector agreement thrashed out with PAU.
 Transport firms that also deliver packages follow the transport union’s agreement. Some ten percent of Posti’s own employees are also covered by that agreement, according to Turkka Kuusisto.
 Shop steward: “Labour market strife starting in other sectors”
 According to Posti 700 workers are transferring to the Industrial Union’s distribution collective agreement.
 Harra fears that this kind of collective agreement ‘shopping’ could spread to other parts of the economy.
 “If Posti gets what it wants, then this kind of thing will spread elsewhere,” said Harra.
 Transport, railway and maritime unions have condemned Posti’s actions and Harra says he’s sure that support actions will happen if a resolution isn’t reached.
 “I believe that customers are behind us,” said Harra. “People walk past and wish us good luck.”
 Turkka Kuusisto says that the company is seeking flexibility through the changes.
 “We are not aiming for cost savings first and foremost, but above all we want flexibility in our package sorting work,” said Kuusisto in a statement. “Our goal is flexible and similar working conditions to our competitors’.”
 Professor: Impact on other negotiations
 Tampere University’s labour researcher and professor of sociology  Harri Melin  says that the Posti dispute could have an impact on other union-employer negotiations this autumn.
 “This autumn will be quite warm in the labour market,” said Melin, who cites economic growth and lengthened working hours imposed by the last government as upward pressures on pay settlements.
 On the other hand, economic forecasts suggest growth might not continue.
 Melin says that similar moves to find cheaper labour conditions will become more common in Finland. Posti is, according to Melin, a test case, because it is one company in one sector trying to minimise the cost of labour.
 Edit: Updated on 2 September at 5.50pm to include Malinen’s announcement.

Union slams bonus payments as CEO waives two months' salary


Summary: Violence is most often experienced by women in the social, health and education sectors, the poll suggests.

Violence has occurred or been threatened at about one third of Finnish workplaces during the past three years, according to a study published on Monday by the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK).
 About one in five respondents reported being the target of actual or threatened violence on the job within the past three years. In most incidents the perpetrators were customers, and women reported twice as many incidents as men.
 The study used the World Health Organisation's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual...that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation."
 Violence appears to be particularly endemic in the social, health and education fields. Nearly a quarter of those in the social services and health sectors said they had experienced physical violence, compared to just three percent of those in industrial sectors, for instance.
 Mental violence common on social and healthcare
 Nearly 40 percent of those in health and social work said they had faced what they described as mental violence from customers, managers or co-workers. Again, women were roughly twice as likely to report such experiences.
 Besides being threatened or targeted with physical violence, respondents reported incidents such as being shouted at, insulted, denied access to information or having false information spread about them.
 Statistics Finland defines mental violence or bullying at work as "isolation, invalidating of work, threats, talking behind one's back and other pressurising [sic] directed to a member of the work community".
 "This shows a clear need to improve management and supervisory work. There must be zero tolerance for inappropriate treatment and harassment at all workplaces," said STTK Director  Katarina Murto .
 The STTK commissioned the study by Aula Research, which queried just over 2,000 employees in June and July. According to the pollster, "the sample represents working Finns with a weighting adjustment for age, gender and region".
 The STTK includes 15 trade unions with over half a million members.

Survey: One in five has experienced violence or its threat at work


Summary: Finland must do all it can to ensure that the children's rights are guaranteed, says the Ombudsman for Children.

Two children whose Finnish mother has died are being cared for by another Finnish woman at the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, Yle has learned. The mother was apparently killed in Isis-controlled territory about two years ago.
 The children, who are of school age, were born in Syria. Relatives in Finland have urged officials to bring them here. Any child born to a Finnish mother automatically gains Finnish citizenship.
 An Yle reporter who visited the camp learned that they are being cared for by another Finnish woman, but are living in squalid conditions. Temperatures have hovered around 40 degrees Celsius this summer, with diseases rampant.
 Yle has confirmed the information with the children's relatives in Finland. Family members say they have maintained contact with the youngsters via other Finnish women at the camp, and have sought their repatriation.
 PM promised quick decision in June
 There are about 10 Finnish women at the camp, with around 30 children. So far Finland has not brought anyone out of the camp.
 In June the Interior Ministry told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that there were orphans of Finnish parents at the camp.
 At that point Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  told the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat that a decision on possibly fetching the orphans from the camp would be made as soon as possible. Sweden, Norway, France, the Netherlands and other countries have repatriated orphans from Syria.  Rinne also met with relatives  of Finnish occupants of the camp in July.
 The older child's parents, both Finns, have apparently both died. The younger child had a different father, whose fate is unclear. According to some reports he too has died, while others say he is being held prisoner by Kurdish forces in Syria.
 Ombudsman: Same rights as any children
 Elina Pekkarinen , the Ombudsman for Children in Finland, says it is clear that the fundamental rights of children are in no way guaranteed at the camp.
 She points that Finland is obliged by law and treaties to do all it can to protect the rights of Finnish children anywhere in the world. Usually this is handled through the Finnish Foreign Ministry.
 "Some countries have been able to bring children out of the camp. This will require international cooperation," she says.
 Most likely the children have not been registered in Finland and do not have a legal guardian, she notes.
 The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) meanwhile sees the women at the camp  as security risks .
 Pekkarinen says that children must not face discrimination based on their parents' actions or ideology, or any other reasons. They have the same rights as any other children.
 "These children have not chosen their fate," she says. "They did not play a role in their parents' decisions."

Relatives seek repatriation of Finnish orphans at Al-Hol refugee camp


Summary: The Volocopter, which made its international debut at Helsinki Airport, is to begin commercial operations by 2030.

The Volocopter, an air taxi developed by a German company of the same name, had its first international test flight at the Helsinki airport last week. The flight – two years in the making – lasted just a few minutes, and was part of the Gulf of Finland (GOF) U-Space project to test unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
 The Volocopter 2X, a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, was driven by a test pilot on Thursday, but is meant to transport passengers autonomously in the future. Before its maiden flight, it had only flown in enclosed spaces. The company conducted the test flight in Finland at the request of  Pasi Nikama,  senior vice president of Air Navigation Services Finland, a state-owned company.
 Volocopter Chief Technology Officer  Jan Hendrik Boelens  said he was pleased to receive permission to fly in Finland.
 "This was the first-ever Volocopter flight from an international airport. Although it was a manned flight, it was still tough. A really fantastic day," he said. "We were able to fly the craft with a pilot today, but it is still not possible to fly it without one. No flying authority in the world permits autonomous flying right now," he added.
 Story continues after photo.
 The company intends to launch the upcoming VoloCity model rather than the Volocopter 2X for commercial operations. Juha Kivioja / Yle
 Volocopter aims to obtain a license to start flight operations in 2021. According to Boelens, commercial operations should begin the following year.
 The Volocopter's first manned vertical take-off took place in 2011, and last week's flight used the second prototype of the multicopter. The company intends to schedule regular flights for its new VoloCity model, which was introduced just a week ago.
 Commonplace in 10 years
 Boelens said that the Volocopter's batteries can be replaced in a matter of minutes, and do not need to be charged directly on the aircraft. He also declared that within the next 10 years, the Volocopter will become so commonplace that people could use it to travel to various cities across the world. "Finland as well, definitely," he added.
 Story continues after photo.
 Volocopter CTO Jan Hendrik Boelens  Juha Kivioja / Yle
 Nikama said that the company's aim to launch operations in Finland before 2030 was plausible. "There are other drone taxi companies which are conducting tests and by monitoring them, they constantly evolve and improve reliability. Of course, there are issues that need to be resolved. There are customs and passenger regulations. If a foreign traveller visits Finland without a Schengen visa, they will probably be unable to travel onward in the Volocopter, but something in between has to be done," he said.
 Air taxis in the next few years
 Volocopter has not yet disclosed whether it is in talks with Finnish airport operator Finavia to begin operations at Helsinki Airport. Frankfurt Airport in Germany is set to begin air taxi operations in the next few years, with a contract already in place.
 Jukka Hannola , a leading drone expert from the national transport licence, registration and approval authority Traficom, was also present at the Volocopter's first flight at the airport. Hannola said he was impressed with what he saw and believes that Germans always meet expectations when it comes to technology.
 "These things work on a commercial basis. Since it's a business, it requires customers," he added.
 Story continues after photo.
 The Volocopter 2X is just over two metres high. The aircraft has 18 rotors and is very quiet compared to a regular helicopter. Juha Kivioja / Yle
 Boelens said that Volocopter has the best strategy for air taxi operations in cities.
 "It is a question of integrating the Volocopter efficiently into regular air traffic in the future. It's a matter of saving time. If the air transportation process compels travellers to spend half an hour waiting at the airport, it undoes the Volocopter's time-saving benefits." The two-person version of the aircraft can currently travel a distance of 35 kilometres over city rooftops at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour.
 Boelens has not yet revealed which locations the Volocopter will operate from in 2022. "We have some really good options, but we are currently prioritising the cities that we believe are the most commercially viable."
 Flights from Helsinki Airport into the city are unlikely to make the cut, as the Volocopter will initially fly only in daylight. The 2X model of the multicopter will fly next at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany in two weeks. This is the first time the Volocopter will use the airspace of a major European country.

Watch: Electric air taxi prototype takes flight in Finland


Summary: The Norwich and Finland striker has scored five goals in his first four games in England's top division.

Finland's  Teemu Pukki  has been named the English Premier League's Player of the Month for August. The Norwich City striker has scored five goals and provided one assist in the first four games of this season, including a hat-trick against Newcastle United, and has had a direct role in all of the goals his club have scored so far.
 "It is a great honor. There have been some good goals and we have played some good football. A big thank you to my teammates," Pukki said in a  video  (in Finnish) posted on the official account of Finland's national team.
 The Kotka talisman is currently on international duty as Finland prepare to play two important Euro 2020 qualifying matches, against Greece on Thursday and against Italy on Sunday.
 Pukki is the first Finn to be awarded the monthly gong since  Mikael Forssell , then with Birmingham City, was named player of the month in March 2004.  Sami Hyypiä  is the only other Finn to collect the award, having won in November 1999.
 Other nominations for the August award were Manchester City midfielders  Raheem Sterling  and  Kevin DeBruyne , Burnley striker  Ashley Barnes , Aston Villa defender  Tyrone Mings  and Chelsea midfielder  Mason Mount .
 Pukki won a number of individual accolades last season, including the Sky Bet Championship and PFA Championship Player of the Season awards.

Pukki wins English Premier League Player of the Month award


Summary: August 29th was the latest date ever recorded for an over-25-degree day in Finnish Lapland.

With warm weather continuing in early September, this summer has brought more hot days than usual to most of the country, says the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). It defines "hot" as 25 degrees Celsius (77F) or more.
 That imaginary barrier was breached again on Monday when thermometers in the northern city of Oulu reached 25.4 C.
 In western Finland the June-August period was mostly about one degree warmer than the long-term average. Meanwhile along the eastern border and the far north, the average was about a degree below usual.
 Starting in May, the place with the most hot days was the southern town of Hattula, near Hämeenlinna. It clocked up 26 days of 25C or more. Meanwhile Kilpisjärvi in the far northwestern arm, has not reached 25 at all this year.
 Monday was the 37th day this year when the mercury reached 25 somewhere in the country. That is two more than the long-term average.
 Late heat in Lapland
 Late August brought a new heatwave to northern Finland. On 29 August it pushed the thermometer to 25.3 degrees in Rovaniemi, capital of Finnish Lapland. According to the FMI, that is the latest recorded date that the mercury has ever surpassed 25C in Finnish Lapland.
 August was drier than usual through most of the country. In general rainfall was less than the normal level. Much of central Finland, Savo and North Karelia had their driest summer since 1955.
 Despite the drought, torrential downpours caused material damage in Pori on 8 August and in Helsinki on 23 August.
 Statistically, the temperature usually breaks the 25C barrier on one day in September. This year it already has on the first two days of the month, notes Yle meteorologist  Anne Borgström .
 She predicts unstable conditions for the rest of the week, with temperatures declining to more seasonable levels. Southern Finland, for instance, should mostly have highs of 16-18C over the next week, while Oulu's highs will hover around 14-15 and Rovaniemi slightly below that.

Record late heat in Lapland as dry summer draws to close


Summary: Experts tell parents to talk to their kids about online predators, the postal workers' strike continues and more rain.

So far this year, residents have reported some 1,500 sexual offences against minors to the police, writes national daily  Helsingin Sanomat . A quarter of the reported incidents are in the capital city region.
 The paper asks how it’s possible that some perpetrators are able to sexually abuse multiple young victims over long periods of time without being caught.
 Kirsi Porras , who has worked with sexually abused kids for 15 years at the Family Federation of Finland, told HS that abusers are master manipulators who are able to make victims feel special. Many also use secret-keeping as a way of keeping children quiet about abuse, particularly when the abuser  plies underage victims with alcohol and drugs .
 Because of easy exposure to explicit content online, experts told HS that parents need to have frank discussions with their children about what's appropriate on social media when they get their own devices--if not before.
 Leena Salovartio  at the Prosecutor General's Office meanwhile pointed to a lack of resources when it comes to crimes against children.
 "Everyone has a heart when it comes to these matters but that doesn't translate into funding or more personnel," she said.
 Benefits payments delayed
 Several news outlets, including online magazine  Uusi Suomi , report on social insurer Kela's announcement of possible delays to benefits processing due to the  postal worker strike .
 Kela pointed out that unemployment and income support benefits may be delayed, especially if claimants have sent in documents via mail.
 The strike that began on Sunday evening  to protest pay cuts  ends at midnight on Wednesday.
 Warmth before rain moves in
 Finland has basked in a sunny and summer-like start to September, but according to  Ilta-Sanomat , many parts of the country will see rain in the coming days. Daytime highs around the country will still remain in a mild 15-20 degree Celsius range.
 With warm weather continuing into early September, this summer has brought more hot--or above 25-degree-weather--days  than usual  to most of the country, according to the the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).

Tuesday's papers: Child grooming, Kela benefits delays and rain moves in


Summary: Samuji had filed for bankruptcy due to unpaid pension contributions of 150,000 euros.

Finnish fashion firm Samuji appears to have dodged their  impending bankruptcy  with a successful crowdfunding campaign. The campaign, which was organised through Finnish crowdfunding platform Mesenaatti.me, has raised nearly 155,000 euros—5,000 more than the minimum goal of 150,000 euros.
 More than 560 donors contributed to the campaign, which began on 28 August. The ultimate goal was to raise 40,000 euros to fund the brand’s autumn collection. The last date to contribute to the campaign was on 2 September.
 Samuji had accumulated around 150,000 euros worth of debt in unpaid employee pension contributions, which pensions firm Ilmarinen sought to recover. This resulted in the bankruptcy filing. The company said that they are making significant changes to the business, such as focusing more on online retail.

Crowdfunding campaign saves Finnish fashion brand from bankruptcy


Summary: The Court decided not to hear a case involving Finnair's failure to pay a standard compensation to delayed passengers.

Finland’s Supreme Court has rejected an application to appeal the decision of the Market Court not to fine national carrier Finnair over its failure to offer financial compensation to consumers whose flights have been delayed.
 In January, the Consumer Ombudsman  argued in the Market Court  that passengers have a right to so-called standard compensation in cases where they were delayed by a plane’s technical malfunction or a manufacturing or design flaw. However the Market Court rejected the Ombudsman’s case.
 In such instances, Finnair has denied paying out a standard compensation or has offered customers a smaller settlement or a gift card. The Consumer Ombudsman called on the Court to impose a fine on Finnair.
 In 2017,  the Ombudsman said that instead of paying passengers a standard compensation  of 600 euros, Finnair usually offers them a voucher or cash that is lower in value. In addition, Finnair gives consumers a misleading picture of current legal practice, its obligations and passenger rights, the Consumer Disputes Board commented in 2018.
 In its January ruling, the Market Court said that the Ombudsman’s request for a fine had no formal grounds in European Court of Justice case law.

Supreme Court turns down appeal in Finnair compensation dispute


Summary: On Tuesday the government said it would revise remuneration at Posti, which is wholly owned by the Finnish state.

Government minister  Sirpa Paatero  on Tuesday lashed out at the lavish salaries and bonuses paid to the top management of national mail carrier Posti, which is wholly owned by the Finish state. Last week it became known that Posti's chief executive was pulling down an annual salary close to a million euros while postal workers earning around 2,000 euros per month were facing 30-50 percent pay cuts this autumn in the name of competitiveness.
 Minister of Local Government and Ownership Steering Paatero told a press conference on Tuesday that the government would review the remuneration of top management at Posti.
 She added that the state may decide to take out smaller dividends paid to it by Posti. As a state-owned company, Posti pays dividends to its sole shareholder, the state.
 She said salaries paid to executives had been excessive and that further negotiations between the postal workers' union (PAU) and employer representatives would take place this autumn regarding any changes to postal workers' collective agreement.
 CEO waives part pay after public outrage
 Last week news emerged that in four years, Posti chief executive  Heikki Malinen ’s annual salary including bonuses had  risen by 65 percent to 990,000 euros . That amounts to a monthly pay packet of about 82,500 euros. Following public outrage, Malinen said he was willing to  waive two months' pay  this year. Meanwhile management was planning to cut postal workers' salaries by shifting them to a new pay structure.
 The postal workers' union PAU said the new pay structure would effectively gouge some 700 employees’ pay by an average of 30 percent, and in some cases up to 50 percent by November. The average monthly salary of a postal worker is 2,200 euros. A 30-percent salary reduction would mean losing 660 euros every month. Workers walked off the job on Friday as the union announced a strike to protest the pay reforms.
 While Paatero did not want to specify how much executive pay would be cut, she said the change would be "significant."
 She has previously pointed out that Posti is increasingly competing with multinational delivery companies not bound by the same collective agreement, allowing competitors to pay workers less.
 The postal workers' industrial action ends at midnight on Wednesday.

Government slams Posti top exec pay as "excessive"


Summary: Municipalities concerned about extra care worker costs of up to 800 million euros annually, unions want wage guarantee.

Finland’s local governments may have to grapple with an additional eight billion euros in personnel costs, if social and health care professionals receive pay increases beyond the general level that they are demanding, KT, the association of local government employers said on Tuesday.
 The additional costs that KT outlined would accrue over a period of 10 years, and would reflect expenses of nearly 800 million euros annually.
 Currently municipalities spend roughly 7.6 billion euros a year on labour costs in the social and health care sector. According to calculations by the employers’ organisation, in 10 years, labour costs will be nearly 20 percent or 1.5 billion euros more than today, reaching a total of just over nine billion euros.
 "Public finances stressed"
 The organisation said that public and municipal finances are stressed and in deficit.
 "It is imperative to maintain labour marker contracts at a moderate level to improve employment, competitiveness and the state of public finances. Municipal employers do not have extra to allocate," KT labour market director  Markku Jalonen  said in a statement.
 Employers in the sector speculated that if workers’ demand for pay increases were implemented across all municipalities then total costs would approach 22 billion euros in 10 years.
 "This way, increased costs implemented across the entire municipal sector would at worst drive up municipal taxes by 2.2 percentage points in 10 years," KT research manager  Mika Juutinen  warned.
 Unions warn of impending care crisis
 Super and Tehy, two unions representing workers in the social and health care sector, have called for government to reserve budget allocations for wage programmes in female-dominated fields.
 The annual net cost of the wage programme to municipalities will be around 80 million euros over 10 years. The figure includes government subventions to local government, of which 80 million euros is less than one percent. The programme requires buy-in from central government, since municipal employers have no funds for it.
 The unions argued that a guaranteed wage programme would reduce employee turnover in the field and would ease the threat of a care professional shortage. They also pointed out that nurses are retiring or leaving the profession at the same time that an ageing population needs them more than ever.
 "Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  has said that he understands the wage demands of female-dominated sectors. We also need to ask whether or not we can afford not to raise care professionals’ pay, rather than whether or not we can afford to raise them," Super chair  Silja Paavola  said in a statement.

Municipalities, unions at odds over higher pay for health care professionals


Summary: The city has launched a competition to address a shortage of skilled professionals and recruit international talent.

Five international professionals and their families visited the southwest Finland city of Turku last week after winning a career competition organised by a local business network.  Talent Call Turku  was a "contest aimed at professionals worldwide looking for new career opportunities", according to its website, and sought to promote the city as a place to live and work.
 Turku is facing a shortage of skilled labour, especially in the cleantech, creative, health, maritime and technology fields, according to the contest's organisers, Turku Business Region, the city of Turku and Business Finland.

 The contest was an attempt to plug this gap, and the call from Turku was heard across the world - with over 1,000 applicants from 75 countries signing up for a chance to visit the city.
 Applicants and their families from Singapore, Lithuania, India, Iran, Albania and Latvia were given a chance to get to know the city, particularly options for employment and family life. Five of the families - with the exception of the  Taefi  family from Iran - spent last week visiting companies, schools, kindergartens and tourist attractions in the Turku region. Although many other cities hold similar competitions aimed at recruiting talented professionals, Talent Call Turku's organisers believe their contest stands out because each winner's entire family was brought along for the visit.
 All of the competition winners and their families have now returned to their home countries. Some have reportedly already begun discussions with representatives of the companies that interest them, while others are regularly receiving information on possible jobs in Turku.
 App Developer Audrey Kow, Singapore
 Ryan Ho and Audrey Kow during their visit to Finland. Tarja Hiltunen / Yle
 Singapore native  Audrey Kow  and her husband  Ryan Ho  were impressed by the kindness of Finnish people during their visit, and in particular recounted what happened in front of a Turku mailbox. The couple were attempting to send a postcard to their relatives in Singapore, but were unable to understand the instructions on the front of the box, until a passing stranger stopped to help.
 "Can you imagine there was someone beside me asking if she could help," Audrey says, almost in amazement, adding that nobody in Singapore would pay any attention to a tourist in need.
 The young couple knew little about Turku or even Finland in advance of their trip, but learned a lot from visits to local businesses, as well as from a trip to the island of Nagu in the Finnish archipelago.
 Kow worked for six years as a chemist in the chemical industry, but changed careers last year and is now a web application developer. She hopes to find work in the field in the Turku region.
 Ho, for his part, is currently the Human Resources Manager at the Port of Singapore, and laughed when asked if he would consider working at the port of Turku.
 "The port of Singapore is one of the largest in the world, so there is a difference in size. But why not?"
 Service engineer Andrius Dvinelis, Lithuania
 Viktorija Zepnickaite, Andrius Dvinelis and their son Vainius.  Tarja Hiltunen / Yle
 Lithuanian service engineer  Andrius Dvinelis  visited Turku with his wife  Viktorija Zepnickaite  and their 11-month-old  Vainius , after a Facebook advert for the Talent Call Turku competition caught the eye of the service engineer from Vilnius.
 "Facebook has a lot of job offers from Germany and the Netherlands, for example, but Finland has similar values [to Lithuania]," Dvinelis says, explaining why he entered.
 The marketing of Finland as a place to live and work has been quite successful in Lithuania, according to Dvinelis, who lists the positive features he associates with his prospective new home country: safe, happy, clean and environmentally friendly.
 Dvinelis has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for seven years, but recently began to feel that he needed a fresh challenge, so was encouraged by his wife to find something new. Zepnickaite, a molecular biologist and genetics researcher, plans to return to work after her maternity leave.
 Dvinelis says that the first Finnish word he learned was  hampurilainen  (hamburger) as it was the only word he understood on the menu of a fast food kiosk in Turku.
 Software developer Jinu John, India
 Meera Baby and Jinu John with their children Ashley and Jonathan. Tarja Hiltunen / Yle
 Senior software developer  Jinu John  and software developer  Meera Baby , who live in the port city of Kochi on India's southwest coast, say the invitation to Turku was a dream come true.
 A colleague who worked in Finland told John and his team of four about the Talent Call Turku competition. The group immediately dug our their phones and scrambled to apply for the competition as quickly as possible, John recalls, adding that he could not believe his luck when he heard he had been selected.
 "Believe me, there are enough talented people in India," John says.
 Baby has been at home with their children, six-year-old  Jonathan  and three-year-old  Ashley , but is planning to return to work as soon as possible.
 Before their trip the couple, who have been married for 10 years, said they knew Finland had a reputation for clean tap water, which they had heard was the "best in the world".
 The couple were also very impressed by a trip to a Finnish kindergarten, as well as an elementary school, and they reserved special praise for the cleanliness of Turku's streets as well as the happiness of the Finns they encountered.
 Software developer Yllka Curri, Albania
 Yllka and Afrim Curr with their children Edon and Sind. Tarja Hiltunen / Yle
 Software developer  Yllka Curri , from Tirana, Albania, cites the Finnish education system as one of the main reasons she entered the Turku contest. She says she wants a good future for her four-year-old daughter  Sind  and two-year-old son  Edon , but fears that this is not possible in Albania. Instead, she believes Finland is the best country to raise children.
 "A friend living in Finland invited me to participate. I watched videos of the city and immediately fell in love," Yllka says of her first impressions of Turku.
 Curri's husband  Afrim  has worked as an accountant but has been studying agriculture in recent years, and would like to work in this area if the family does make the move to Turku.
 Brand specialist Maris Staris, Latvia
 The Staris family hope to continue their hobby of folk dancing in Turku. Tarja Hiltunen / Yle
 Latvian brand specialist  Maris Staris , who has been running his own advertising and marketing agency for a couple of decades, is also interested in new challenges. Maris, who lives in Mãrupe, a suburb of the capital Riga, discovered the Talent Call Turku competition on Facebook.
 "We hope to be able to combine work and family life, and that our children can be children for as long as possible," Staris says of his reasons for entering the contest.
 His wife  Ilze Staris  works at a bank as a digital services developer. Their eldest daughter  Sofija , aged eight, has just completed first grade while four year old  Betija  enjoys outdoor activities and folk dancing - a hobby that the whole family shares.
 The Staris family were particularly interested in the history of Turku, also cited the direct flight from Turku to Riga as a big plus. Both parents added that they were impressed by the city's diverse educational opportunities.

Six international families get free intro to life and work in Turku


Summary: The ranking by a luxury travel firm reviewed more than 100 countries.

Finland has been named the year’s best wildlife travel destination in the  Global Wildlife Travel Index  compiled by the UK-based True Luxury Travel, an agency that caters to well-heeled customers.
 The award was mentioned by  travel guide publisher Lonely Planet  and first reported locally by tabloid daily Iltalehti.
 Finland outpaced more than 100 other contenders for the honour and according to the index, was singled out for "its high levels of environmental sustainability, its unique and varied diversity of species, beautiful natural landscapes, and conservation efforts."
 "These results come as Finland has continued to see a rapid increase in tourism levels over the last year," the ranking continued.
 According to the index, Finland’s standings were helped by the fact that more than 73 percent of its surface area is covered by forests.
 Finland’s western neighbour Sweden placed second with Brazil, Canada and the USA rounding out the top five.
 Meanwhile Norway, Spain, Germany, Poland and Slovenia ranked from sixth to 10th position.

Finland named best wildlife travel destination in 2019


Summary: Dailies look at youth payment preferences, Posti revelations, and the court appeal of a teacher who restrained a pupil.

Only four percent of Finnish adults under the age of 35 use cash anymore, according to a  new poll highlighted  in Helsingin Uutiset. The OP Bank online poll found that over 72 percent of 600 respondents said they already use mobile payment services regularly, with 61 percent preferring to use contactless payment in shops.
 The young adults say they value mobile payment for its ease, speed and safety. Thirty-six percent of respondents say they hope the services will be developed to automatically deduct student discounts, for example, while 23 percent of respondents wished all of the many mobile payment options could be consolidated in one app. Seventeen percent were open to idea of using biometric identification methods, like facial or fingerprint recognition, in the future.
 Overworked and underpaid at Posti
 The tabloid Iltalehti  talks with  Tuula , a veteran worker for the national postal service Posti, who says she was "relieved" to be laid off along with 93 other employees this year. The former distribution supervisor, who wished to remain anonymous, told IL that the "last five years were hell", as the staff was severely overworked. If a customer called to complain about undelivered mail, she said management had instructed the workers to lie and say it was due to the weather or transport difficulties.
 "We couldn't tell them it was because we were under-resourced. We had to come up with some other reason," she tells the paper.
 Tuula tells IL that all of the basic letter delivery work now requires employees to work overtime to meet what she says are unreasonable targets. Some workers have refused to do it, which explains why some of the mail goes undelivered day-to-day. Many of those who stay on to finish their routes end up on sick leave, Tuula reports, and are replaced by hourly temp workers.
 "For several years now, Posti has created this illusion of a dynamic company, ready for change, but each organisational restructuring has led to a new round of layoffs and tremendous chaos," she said.
 State-owned Posti has been frequently in the news over the last few years for  axing staff  and  cutting back on mail delivery . Recent news of the Posti CEO's near million-euro annual salary in the midst of planned  30-50 percent pay cuts  for 700 package sorters – who already earn just 2,200 euros monthly – saw  ministers step in  to promise changes.
 Court determines teacher wrongly dismissed
 Daily Helsingin Sanomat reports on a teacher in the southern city of Kerava who was let go by city officials in 2017 after repeatedly restraining a second-year child who was acting violently and hitting another pupil. The paper reports that an  administrative court rejected the termination  of the special education teacher, and ruled that she be reinstated.
 The court found that the teacher's conduct, in which she pinned the thrashing eight-year-old to the ground and restrained the child's hands, "was not so reprehensible as to constitute a breach of public service" that would have justified immediate dismissal, HS writes. The court ruled that the school board and the city should have followed the procedure set out in laws on civil service, and first given the teacher warnings and a chance to change her behaviour.
 The court decision now requires the city of Kerava to pay the appellant's court fees of 12,000 euros. Municipal administrators will now decide whether to appeal the case to the Supreme Administrative Court, the paper writes.
 FSA rejects CEO candidate
 And HS also reports this Wednesday on an  "uncommon" decision  from the Financial Supervisory Authority: the rejection of the appointment of  Juha Koponen  to head the LähiTapiola finance group.
 The authority ruled that the candidate was not qualified for the position in the country's second largest accident insurance and fourth largest life insurance company, as he did not have enough prior experience in the insurance sector. It said its decision was prompted by a concern for the best interest of the firm's policyholders.
 53-year-old Koponen was in the running to replace LähiTapiola's current CEO  Erkki Moisander  at the start of 2020, when Moisander is to retire.

Wednesday's papers: Cash on way out, Posti worker tells all, dismissed teacher reinstated


Summary: The postal workers' union has suspended its strike after assurances from the minister in charge of state-owned firms.

Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö SAK

The Finnish Post and Logistics Union (PAU) decided to suspend its strike early on Wednesday. The decision came after it received word from Minister of Ownership Steering  Sirpa Paatero that a controversial contract plan would be put on ice . Posti had planned to shift some 700 employees under the scope of a new collective bargaining agreement, a move the union said would have lead to sharp cuts in their wages.
 "PAU has received further clarification regarding the timeout message from the Minister of Ownership Steering in connection with the collective labour agreement dispute, which allows for the suspension of industrial action for the time being," PAU chair  Heidi Nieminen  said in a statement.
 The union demands that Posti transfer Parcel and E-Commerce sorting staff back under the aegis of the main company Posti Oy so that collective labour agreement negotiations can re-start "with a clean slate".
 "Employees are to return to work for their next shifts, if possible," Nieminen added.
 Nieminen expects sympathy job action by other unions to end as well. However she tells Yle that the union is prepared to launch more industrial action if the contract dispute is not resolved.
 Posti intended to move the workers under other unions' collective agreements, which PAU estimated would have led to some employees' wages falling by as much as half as well as weaker contract terms.
 The strike, which began on Sunday evening, was to have gone on until midnight Wednesday.
 Posti CEO: Newspaper deliveries could end by 2025
 Meanwhile Posti CEO  Heikki Malinen , who has been  under fire for accepting hefty salary raises  while employees are seeing their pay cut, suggests that home delivery of newspapers and magazines could end as early as 2025, and that the future of letter deliveries is also in doubt.
 Malinen told the newspaper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus that he expects delivery of printed periodicals to continue until at least 2025 or 2030, but that the future of hand-delivered letters looks increasingly challenging over the next few years.
 MT estimates that a decline in letter and newspaper deliveries has put a 70-million-euro dent in Posti's turnover.
 Posti later issued a statement saying that MT had "misunderstood" what Malinen said, and that the firm does not plan to halt delivery of printed papers in 2025. It said that it will continue to deliver newspapers as long as customers have a need for the service. It also notes that the volume of addressed letters delivered in the first half of this year was down by 13 percent compared to a year earlier.
 Company needs "more flexibility"
 Malinen said that the planned changes in collective agreements are intended to give the state-owned company more flexibility, as the business increasingly shifts toward package deliveries and logistics.
 As most packages are delivered toward the end of each week, the firm already in effect only delivers letters only four days a week, the paper notes.
 Although the package delivery business is growing, so is the competition. Malinen notes that Posti now competes with 16 domestic delivery firms as well as many more from abroad.

Postal union calls off strike; CEO predicts end to letter and newspaper deliveries


Summary: Tourists arriving by car, bus, boat or plane will soon be able to visit the Saint Petersburg area without costly visas.

New Russian visa protocol coming into effect in October will no longer require some travellers from Finland to the Saint Petersburg area to purchase visas before their trip.
 As of next month, people who are travelling to the area for less than eight days can simply fill in a free visa application available on the Russian foreign ministry website. The online form requires applicant passport and personal information and a recent digital photo. The ministry promises a four-day turnaround time, and once approved, the online visa is valid for one trip within 30 days. It is not necessary to submit specific travel dates or vehicle information.
 The free eight-day-maximum visa will only be available to people travelling to destinations in Leningrad Oblast, the region that is home to the metropolis of Saint Petersburg.
 "Now that the Russian President has approved the legislation, I think it's clear that [the change] will take effect as planned," says the Ministry for Foreign Affairs consular director  Pasi Tuominen .
 South Karelian crossing points only
 According to a draft decision from the Russian transport ministry, the free visa will be accepted at three southern crossing points in the cities of Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, and Imatra on the eastern Finnish-Russian border. It will apply to car, bus and motorcycle traffic at these three locations.
 Air traffic to Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg will be included, meaning that passengers on Finnair flights from Helsinki to Petersburg will also benefit from the free visa option.
 In terms of maritime traffic, the new visa protocol will apply to travellers moving through Saint Petersburg ports and Vyborg's Uuras harbour. It is not yet certain whether the new visa will extend to traffic into the port of Vyborg city, however.
 Jury still out on train connections
 The Finnish Foreign Ministry says it is still unsure about whether railway passengers will be included in the scope of the new visas.
 "We really hope that the new visa would be valid for Allegro train traffic as well. Railway connections are the most popular choice for travel to this area from Finland, and we know that many more people would make the trip if the visa process was made easier," says  Satu Mäntyvaara , a representative of the Kymenmatkat travel agency in the southeast city of Kotka.
 At present, the reform is limited to three south-eastern border crossings on the Finnish-Russian border and one crossing from Estonia to Russia through the Estonian city of Narva. Other more northern crossings in Finland are not included, for example, the Niirala border crossing near Joensuu.
 Similar new visa requirements have already been taken into use in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. Finnish residents have been able to travel to the area without the purchase of a visa by air, sea or train via Lithuania or Poland for some time.
 Russia hopes for more tourists
 The change is expected to increase tourism to the area significantly. The Karelian Isthmus that is home to Saint Petersburg and its surroundings was a part of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in the nineteenth century. Many Finns can trace their ancestry to the area and several major conflicts in the Continuation War were also fought in the Isthmus.
 Russia has extended the new visas to citizens of 43 countries in a bid to increase tourism and stimulate the economy. Travel authorities in Saint Petersburg predict a 50 percent increase in traveller numbers after the October 1 change, pushing yearly visitor numbers up from eight million to 12 million.

Free visas introduced for certain kinds of travel to Russia