Finnish authorities are investigating alleged labor exploitation and human trafficking involving Chinese workers at a battery-materials factory construction site in Kotka. The case came to light after workers sent a letter in three languages appealing for help.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, more than 300 Chinese workers were employed at the site during the summer. Some said they worked nine hours a day, six days a week, with additional Sunday work. Some reportedly had more than €1,600 deducted from their wages for accommodation and meals, despite earlier promises that these expenses would be covered.
Workers also alleged that they were pressured to sign English-language contracts they could not understand, had their employers changed without their consent, and faced threats of dismissal and deportation for raising complaints.
Finnish police opened an investigation on September 10. By October 30, nine people had reportedly been detained, four of whom were in pretrial detention. The factory is being built by a joint venture involving China’s Beijing Easpring Material Technology, Finland’s state-owned Finnish Minerals Group, and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution. The investigation is ongoing.
The case highlights a longstanding practice among some Chinese companies undertaking overseas projects: bringing workers from China and housing them in company-controlled facilities. Such arrangements can isolate workers from local communities and make them heavily dependent on their employers, increasing the risk of poor living conditions and labor abuses.
Source: Sina, November 1, 2026
https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2026-11-01/doc-inixfrfw7831735.shtml