New tools for public procurement agencies in Finland to prevent labour exploitation in local procurement and subcontracting chains (Hankinta-Suomi – Julkisten hankintojen Strategia)

Finland has launched a first of a kind National Public Procurement Strategy in September 2020, prepared by the Ministry of Finance and the Association of Local and Regional Authorities and municipalities, central government, tenderers, and expert organisations.

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HEUNI has been delighted to be part of the project’s implementation and achievement of strategic objectives linked to increasing social responsibility and improving workers’ rights, including human rights. HEUNI published a guide for risk management in national supply chains for public procurement agencies in Finland titled Labour Exploitation and Public Procurement with support form procurement and social responsibility experts. 

The project aimed to:

  • Cooperate with key professionals to collect information on the specific challenges that procurement units face in their work in preventing labour exploitaiton. Increase awareness of risks of becoming involved in labour exploitation and trafficking in local subcontracting chains. 
  • Develop tools for public procurement units to manage risks and prevent labour exploitation in local subcontracting chains.
  • Increase and facilitate discussion on socially responsible procurement methods as part of Finland’s National Public Procurement Strategy. 

The guide provides information on of exploitation of migrant workers and human trafficking in Finland, and advice on how to react when cases of labour exploitation are suspected or encountered. The guide also proposes measures for the prevention of exploitation at different stages of the procurement procedure. The guide is available online in Finnish, Swedish and English, and it can be downloaded free of charge on the websites of HEUNI and Procurement Finland. For a printed version, please contact HEUNI. 

For more information contact Anni Lietonen anni.lietonen@om.fi or Natalia Ollus natalia.ollus@om.fi

Työperäinen hyväksikäyttö ja julkiset hankinnat. Opas riskien huomioimiseen Suomessa  [pdf, 1.6 MB] Arbetskraftexploatering och offentliga upphandlingar. Handbok för riskhantering i Finland  [pdf, 1.6 MB] Labour Exploitation and Public Procurement. Guide for risk management in national supply chains  [pdf, 1.6 MB]