The Varsinais-Suomi District Court has sentenced a contractor at the Turku shipyard to six months of conditional imprisonment due to practices of labour discrimination against workers recruited from North Africa between 2020 and 2022. The ruling, which was delivered on February 6, indicates serious lapses in the management of labor rights within subcontracting arrangements in the Finnish maritime industry. The involved contractor had been under scrutiny by the Lupa- ja valvontavirasto Agency, which is responsible for overseeing labor compliance.

Meyer Turku, the shipyard's main operator, was indirectly implicated in this case through its subcontractor, which raises concerns about oversight and accountability within the company. Ville Saksi, the Deputy Managing Director of Meyer Turku, stated that their grey economy prevention team is prepared to act immediately upon any further irregularities and emphasized their commitment to addressing such issues promptly. However, it remains unclear whether the implicated subcontractor is still on Meyer Turku's suppliers' list, hinting at potential ongoing risks in their supply chain management.

Workers involved in the exploitation reported working between 8 to 12 hours daily but received pay stubs inconsistently, and were compelled to return a significant portion of their wages. This situation highlights a broader issue of labor rights and the protection of vulnerable workers in Finland's economy. The case has prompted a discussion regarding the ethical treatment of subcontracted labor, particularly those from different cultural backgrounds, and may lead to stricter regulations and enforcement measures in the future.